Photo: The Signtologist

Blurb from YAMS:

Often, the power of meaningful social networking underestimates. Nearly a month ago, I shared a conversation with Plastic God and through that relationship, Signtologist became “the homie.” Sharing a relationship of friendship and respect with Colorado Emcee Whygee, when Whygee came to my home a few days ago, quickly he spotted The Signtologist stickers on my desktop computer and immediately took a picture. I say that to say the love that most Denver artists show to each other is enchanting. You should practice it. For more information about The Signtologist, kindly click here. For a high-resolution of this video, visit our Vimeo profile. Thanks.

About the Signtologist:

DUNN, aka ‘The Signtologist’ recycles discarded street signs as a canvas for his unique art.
Dunn’s work has appeared in dozens of national outlets including XXL and he has created art for hundreds of athletes, artists and musicians such as Ludacris, Spike Lee, Pharrell Williams and Slick Rick to name a few.

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Piercing the liquid crystal display screen to experience, the techniques, in which, enrich Ryden’s body of work, as I would in a gallery, “ah” and I “oh” as if I am the widow of an adorned art collector… the words-dialogue of the 2001 drama “Bride of the Wind” embellishes my thoughts, it somehow fits…

With the ability, rights, and encouragement to boast gaily about his mythical portfolio, star-studded clientele, and catchy name, Mark Ryden is far from the average Joe… he looks like a good ryde. (See portrait below.)

Rosie's Tea Party by Mark Ryden Oil on Canvas

Currently, ripping the long, quaint art walk in New York City, Ryden has designed album covers for Ringo Starr, Butthole Surfers, Red Hot Chili Peppers, the late Michael Jackson and is endeared by some of Hollywood’s best.

Hailing from the beautiful and art-oozed city of Los Angeles, California, Ryden brings mystique, familiar, and day-nightmares titled “The Gay 90’s: Old Tyme Art Show” to Paul Kasmin Gallery until June 5.

The Angel of Meat Oil on Panel 38"

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Photos: Charlie Lucas

Blurb from YAMS:

Lucas’ work reminds me of Short Circuit‘s Johnny 5. Birmingham native Charlie Lucas is a self-taught artist known as “Tin Man” for his sculptures made from found scrap metal. His pieces have been showcased in museums and galleries across the U.S. and in Europe. Enjoy his quotes below.

I think I been introduced to art, whatever you want to call it, a long time ago. That I didn’t even know what it was is I’d say when I was a kid. I was always making things and nobody never told me that it was art, and I don’t even see it as art anyway.

I go to like the scrap yards. I go to dump sites. And I want kids to see this thing.- I don’t want them to see it in the shiny, in the newness of it. I don’t even attempt to paint so much of my work. My sculpture I kind of leave them natural with the pieces. Because you want the kids to see the whole society is not shiny and pretty, glamorous that we pretend it is, because it’s not. If we was to really peel ourselves back and look at the true part of ourselves, we would be some of the ugliest things you want to see.

It’s kind of like being a kid. You get to play with your toys and you get to play with them in a way that people look at you and say,” he’s like in the back yard but he won’t bite”. You’re content to be who you want to be inside of the back yard. This is to me is basically my back yard in a way. I’m content to come out and work on my toys.

Photos: Courtesy of Ahmed and Samer Fouad

Ibrahim Ahmed’s Bio:

Born and raised in the Middle East, Ibrahim Ahmed was originally trained as a writer. While pursing a writing major at Rutgers University, Ahmed embraced his life-long interest in the fine arts. Working with both traditional and non-traditional media- like found windowpanes- he has developed a unique aesthetic.

Ahmed’s aesthetic is subtlety abstract in subject but immensely powerful when seen in the flesh. His larger than life glass pieces gently hint at a Middle Eastern influence, due to his use of arabesque patterns and translucent warm tones. Ahmed’s work is evocative of a stain glass tradition from Eastern Europe and the Middle East during the late 16th and 17th centuries. This stylistic revivalism not only harkens the viewer back to a traditional form of art, but also recreates a sense of immense power that was once seen in this form.

Interestingly, the sensual and sophisticated beauty of Ahmed’s windows evolves from a place of darkness. These pieces, which are exhibited in specific and intricate installations, were inspired by Ahmed’s childhood in Bahrain. In a recent interview the artist spoke of his recollections of windows that were taped across to protect them from breaking during a potential bombing. Ahmed has turned feelings that were once terrifying into something constructive and irresistibly beautiful.

Ibrahim Ahmed’s fine artwork is constantly evolving as he expands his use of media, style, and inspiration. His work has been shown all over New York City and Newark, New Jersey.

GrungeCake: What is the Arabic word for “yams”?

Ibrahim Ahmed III: The Arabic word for yams is baa-taa-ta. Assuming that we’re talking about ‘sweet potato’ yams.

GrungeCake: Most artists shy away from exploring other artists’ works for inspirations in fear of copying or emulating someone else’s style. Does this statement stand valid for you?

Ibrahim Ahmed III: Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten the chance to go gallery hopping much. It’s unintentional, I don’t avoid going to shows, I just don’t get the opportunity to go much. I will say that I do enjoy learning various philosophies of fellow artists, or methods. It’s how I evolved into my style of work; fusing Abstract Expressionist philosophy and Islamic Calligraphy/Arabesque work.

GrungeCake: As an inactive fine artist, I feel your markings come from somewhere unknown, yet familiar. It takes me back to art history class. In our current world of fast-paced mass-communication and omni-digital tastes, you serve as my time capsule and source of rejuvenation. Thank you.

Ibrahim Ahmed III: Well I’m honored, really.

GrungeCake: Which artist’s masters or amateurs, have you completely enjoyed and recommended to other artists?

Ibrahim Ahmed III: I’ve always loved three artists, either for their philosophy, method, art, or simply their raw character, and they are as follows (in no particular order): Jackson Pollock, Pablo Picasso, and Jean Michel Basquiat.

GrungeCake: In a recent interview, you spoke of your recollections of windows taped across to protect them from breaking during a potential bombing. Intelligently, you have been able to turn feelings that were once terrifying into something constructive and irresistibly beautiful. Do you feel there is a connection between that and the objective of GrungeCake?

Ibrahim Ahmed III: A contemporary art advisor who I work with, Jasmine Wahi, has emphasized the emersion of beautiful art through conflict, and I think it’s a sentiment that is also present in GrungeCake. I truly dig the attitude of it, the visuals, and taking upcoming artists (unknowns and the neglected) and giving them an outlet of exposure, a voice. There is some sort of parallel. I’ve taken an experience, living in Bahrain during the first Gulf War, and rather than be political and angry about it, I took something as irrelevant and miniscule as windows and brought it to the fore front, I gave the memory of my father taping windows a voice, so that others could experience it on a different level.

GrungeCake: What does “GrungeCake” mean to you? Will you share this link with all of your friends and family? What do you think about our website, www.grungecake.com?

Ibrahim Ahmed III: GrungeCake, I feel (since I was, and still am a big fan of Nirvana), is homage to the Grunge movement, which was not only a sound, but a look and a lifestyle. Take all those things and bake it in an oven and you got yourself a cake served in a magazine: GrungeCake.

GrungeCake: You have stated, “I strongly believe that any form of expression, if genuine, is sacred, and that not everything has to have a message or an explanation. The Source of all creativity is infinite and boundless, and sometimes, especially for me, cannot be explained in words, but can definitely be captured in visual form.” Is this the reason for the “Untitled” entitlements? What do the equations stand for in your titles? Ie: Untited 6+7.

Ibrahim Ahmed III: This is the reason why my latest paintings are all Untitled, yes, but it was also because when I first started painting, I would title my paintings. What I found out was that if I named a painting, say, The Worshipper (which is the name of an actual painting of mine) the viewer would always ask me: ‘Where is the worshipper? I don’t see it”. I felt this took away from the work, and that the viewer would miss out on the experience of just taking the painting in for what it was, rather than trying to find the titles’ literal meaning within the painting.

The equations in the painting aren’t an equation, the + sign is merely painting 6 AND 7. Most of my earlier works have been diptych or triptych, so instead of typing ‘and’ my web designer, Michael Mckeon put the + sign.

GrungeCake: Have you discovered yourself as an artist?

Ibrahim Ahmed III: I definitely feel that my voice as an artist has broken in. What I do with that voice is the fun part. Do I want to serenade the world with a voice like Barry White, or Marvin Gaye? Or do I want to catch it off guard by singing like Kurt Cobain, or Cedric Bixler Zavala? I’m having a good time going back and forth nonetheless.

GrungeCake: Which do you enjoy more, contemporary installments or abstract painting? Do you enjoy any modern contemporary artists?

Ibrahim Ahmed III: I enjoy both contemporary installments and abstract paintings. I definitely enjoy and LOVE Mark Bradford, whom I had the pleasure of meeting over the summer at his second showing at Sikkema Jenkins & Co. I dig Ayad Alkadhi’s work, Dahlia Elsayed is another artist who I absolutely admire and respect visually and philosophically.

GrungeCake: The voice that you speak of hearing whilst creating: is it an inner-voice or a celestial voice?

Ibrahim Ahmed III: The voice I hear is an inner voice, but I do believe that the voice in us is a celestial one. We are created from the Creator, and therefore it is in us all. Listening to that voice, is listening to the Creative Source.

GrungeCake: Safi music is a large part of who you are as an artist. Could you recommend some Safi music for us to create to?

Ibrahim Ahmed III: I could and would be honored to recommend some artists. The Sufi musician I’m familiar with, on a mainstream level that is attainable online, or in a store, would be the one and only Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Now what he did was specifically called Qawwali music, but it is considered Sufi music, which ultimately venerates the Prophets of the three main Abrahmic Faiths. Other musicians I know would be literally impossible to find, because they’re local guys from my father’s village in Egypt.

GrungeCake: What was your experience like showing with Poster Boy at the JaJo Gallery?

Ibrahim Ahmed III: My experience showing with Poster Boy and Aakash Nihalani, the other artist in the show, was challenging. Here I am working with, what people would call a ‘street artist’, and I’m what people would call a ‘fine artist’ (not claiming one to be better than the other). I remember asking myself ‘How am I going to share a space with someone creating art that is completely different than mine, make it look like one show without either of us losing artistic integrity?’. Before that show, I was only doing two-dimensional work; working on canvas, plexi glass whatever other flat surfaced objects I could find. I was initially supposed to work on large plexi glass piece hanging from the ceiling, but when we found out that this was a liability (the plexi would have snapped due to how large and how heavy it was) I could no longer hang my work across the ceiling. I was stuck with this dilemma two weeks before the show. I had a very small budget, and I wasn’t left with many other options after the fact. I thought of just going to a junkyard and finding car doors to work on, when the co-owner of Jajo, Rebecca Jampol, recommended I find windows from local junkyards. So I went on a hunt, in Newark, for windows and got to work. It was because of that show that I started using found objects (working in the ‘assemblage’ arena of art) and those objects happened to be windows, radiator mesh, and street sweepers’ metal bristles, which I made my arabesque patterns with. The rest is kind of history. So in conclusion I’d say it was an experience that helped me grow as an artist; every artists’ dream.

GrungeCake: Have you read the post via animalnewyork.com? How do you feel about being denoted “some other guy” as your prefix?

Ibrahim Ahmed III: Shit happens. If someone wants to write a blog, or an article on a show; doing research about everyone involved in the show would benefit you as a ‘journalist’. To refer to any artist as ‘some other guy’, well it’s a lack of investigative work.

GrungeCake: Kindly list the galleries you have shown.

Ibrahim Ahmed III:

2009

Window Spaces, Atlantic Assets Pop Up Space, Brooklyn, NY
Vessel, Rupert Ravens Gallery, Newark, NJ
Converse 4 A Cure, The SEED Gallery, Newark, NJ
Razors Tape & Glass, Jajo Gallery, Newark, NJ
ArtReach XVII, City WithOut Walls, Newark, NJ
One City, Jajo Gallery, Newark, NJ
Giving Cancer the Boot: A Silent auction for Ovarian Cancer, New York, NY

2008

Contemporary Art Network – New York, NY
Soul on Skin-Breast Cancer Recovery through Tattoo Art, New York, NY

2007

Group Exhibition, Columbia University, New York, NY
Drawing the Line Against Domestic Violence: A Silent Auction, New York, NY

2006

Group Show, Academy Street Firehouse, Newark, NJ
MSA Group Exhibition, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ

GrungeCake: Do you feel fans and onlookers get your work?

Ibrahim Ahmed III: Hmmm. The fans and onlookers. I don’t know if it’s about getting the work when it comes to abstract expressionist art. I feel as though I’ve translated the Creative Sources ‘message’ correctly if the onlooker and fans feel it. It’s about, at least for me, making the viewers feel something; undeniable and true, and that those feelings are powerful and potent.

GrungeCake: You were born in the Middle East and trained as a writer. Have you neglected your writing skills for free form, abstract illustration, and installation? Which styles of writing did you practice at Rutgers University? Were the writing exercises intense? Which were your favourite? Which were your least favourite?

Ibrahim Ahmed III: You know the word neglect makes me feel guilty, because I have left writing behind, although creative expression is a language that has many dialects. It’s like me speaking Arabic in the Egyptian dialect, rather than speaking the Bahraini dialect to which I was accustomed speaking whilst I living there. I can speak both, but regardless I am speaking Arabic. I see it as the same thing with writing and painting/visual arts. At Rutgers I studied English Literature, which ranged from American Contemporary to the Greek classics. My least favourite was the Greek classics (my professors would kill me if they knew I said this). Now, my favourites: Hemmingway, Baldwin, Vonnegut, Mahfouz, Kincaid, Bulosan, all of which are contemporary American, or novelists who focused on the subject matter of immigration, which I related to of course being an immigrant myself. The writing was always intense, and I think it was all that writing, I was forced to do, that turned me off from it all. I want to return to it one day, but I feel there is too much that communicates threw me that writing would limit it at this point in time.

GrungeCake: I am in love with Chuck Taylor’s. How can I get my hands on a pair of your designs? Are they for sale? Where can I pick them up?

Ibrahim Ahmed III: Thank you. I actually did those Chucks for a non-profit organization called ‘Converse4acure‘, which is about bringing awareness to sickle cell anemia. They threw a function to raise funds, so the founder, Ediomi Utuk, collected a bunch of artists, predominantly from Newark (where there is an upcoming art scene), to draw, craft, design Chucks to auction off. The Gold pair, on my Facebook, were inspired by Muhammad Ali. I just thought, ‘what would he wear?’, and called them FLAB SLAB (Fly Like A Butterfly, Sting Like A Bee). To get a pair people usually put a request in on my Facebook page, they buy the pair and I draw on them. Then I hand them over. Very one on one basis and simple. Everyone I’ve done anything for have been in the tri-state area.

GrungeCake: What’s next on the agenda of Ibrahim Ahmed?

Ibrahim Ahmed III: Well, what’s next? Let’s see. This year Resin Denim will be launching their high end denim line, which is featuring my artwork in the pocket lining. I’m also thinking about getting back to the human figure; particularly working with a transgender woman, Gisele, formerly known as Gisele Xtravaganza (from the House of Xtravaganza). The series is called ‘Transferred Soul‘. Where and when I’m showcasing this project? I don’t know as of yet, because it’s still in the works. I think that’s all I have really planned for short term goals this year, everything else will fall in place.

GrungeCake: Lastly, I wanted to tag that I have known you for quite sometime via the MySpace experience. Though we have yet to meet in real life, you have managed to capture me with your subtleties, art wise, and your mention of a hookah bar. You have a done a good job, might I add. Haha, you owe me a hookah bar date.

Ibrahim Ahmed III: All these compliments, thank you! We have known each other via the cyber world for quite a while now. Funny we haven’t met in person, yet. We definitely should roll to a hookah spot. You tell me when and where and I’ll be there. You’re in NY right?

GrungeCake: Yes, I am. Haha.

Photo: Courtesy of Enrique Servin

Blurb from YAMS:

Clearly, Tyler Perry channeled Salvador Dali’s ‘Mae West’ for the inspiration of Madea.

Photo: Mae West by Salvador Dali

Enrique Servin’s Bio:

Enrique’s style isn’t defined by a school or art movement, they’re emerging new things all the time, changing is always occurring.

“I have to be changing, and I have to paint that” is one of his favourite phrases.

He started painting at 12. He studied architecture and later on he studied in the film school of Guadalajara Mexico. He’s a complete visual artist, photographer, video artist, graphic illustrator, but he’s emerging as a great promess on the painting side, and he’s deciding to stay in this side of visual arts.

Last 2 series called “beast series” and “multiplicity series” have been very well accepted, some of beast series are on sale at Saatchi Gallery at London, and some of the new multiplicity series are on sale in the French Gallery ArtandYou. Enrique Servin is conforming a really defined and mature style, conforming what he is, and always searching and changing so his art is always honest with himself and what surrounds him.

Photo: Courtesy of Enrique Servin

GrungeCake: Tell us a childhood story. We’re listening.

Enrique Servin: Well, I was like 10 and I remember that moment when I saw a book cover — it was a painting from Salvador Dali. It was a Mae West portrait, and I got shocked. Something in me changed and knew that I wanted to do something like that. I bought the book and I felt so amazed and I knew I wanted to do that in my life.

GrungeCake: Your views on wet tee-shirt contests.

Enrique Servin: Well, when I was single they were really good, but now that I have a girl and I love her… that’s single stuff.

GrungeCake: Your work perpetually integrates vibrant color, rhythm, form, and great use of balance in composition. It keeps the eye working and yearning for more. You are what you create. Do you agree with this statement?

Enrique Servin: Of course, I think that we can share thoughts or similar ways of acting in a superficial way with a lot of people, but really deep inside of us we’re so different. We integrate all that in what we do, and everyone is a different expression of this perfect universe. I think that is expressed in my work.

Photo: Courtesy of Enrique Servin

GrungeCake: Define contemporary art.

Enrique Servin: It’s just a word. It’s a box where they try to put in all these new manifestations and changes in the way we feel and do art. I don’t think art can be fit in a category, it would be very rational. I don’t think art is something of the mind, at least I don’t work that way.

GrungeCake: Share a day of work in Enrique Servin’s workstation. Are there any specific things you need when creating? What mediums do you use?

Enrique Servin: Something appears suddenly, but appears working in my PC. I start making some drawings, some forms, and start to happen, that magic, and it doesn’t stop, the magic is when I am creating the work, not when its finished, but creativity is always there, its always occurring something. I use my PC, then that work is printed in canvas and I do a mixed media treatment until it’s finished.

GrungeCake: Your views on fencing.

Enrique Servin: Do you mean the sport? Well, sorry I don’t know of anything that could be interesting to say.

GrungeCake: Are you familiar with Architect Nikolai Sutyagin?

Enrique Servin: ‘Just that he’s trying to reach his goal with that crazy house, that started like 15 years ago. It’s really crazy — it’s like 40 meters tall. The sad thing is that it’s getting down… it’s like destroying.

GrungeCake: Share your current top five-film playlist.

Enrique Servin:
• The Sacrifice – Tarkovsky
• Solaris – Tarkovsky
• Persona – Bergman
• Citizen Kane – Orson wells
• 2046 – Wong Kar Wai

GrungeCake: If you had the opportunity to collaborate with Elton John and work on his new men’s wear line, what would your first piece look like?

Enrique Servin: I would be inspired by some songs and I would do what I feel I have to do. I’d think about the label, the artist, and give my expression, as I do in any other work.

GrungeCake: Strawberry short or German chocolate cake?

Enrique Servin: German chocolate cake.

GrungeCake: Are there any similarities between the film and architect world? If yes, share a few.

Enrique Servin: Yes, the point/s of view. You share the way you think of the concepts: What do you like to give to the people? What do you want to people feel inside this space? What do you want people to feel watching that scene? The creating process is very similar in all art manifestations, it’s your opinion of your soul.

GrungeCake: What is your take on graffiti?
I did graffiti when I was younger. It’s a way to feel part of something. It’s a way to have a part of an immense city with your expression/s — cities that look they were forgotten by its citizens. It’s a scream of saying, “Hey, I am right here!” I love good graffiti movements.

GrungeCake: Bacalao or Rhode Island Clam Chowder?

Enrique Servin: None.

GrungeCake: Share 2 geographical facts about Guadalajara, Mexico.

Enrique Servin:
• It’s the most important city of the country after Mexico City.
• Has given Mexico the most recognized artist and personalities.

GrungeCake: What is the current fashion state in Mexico? Are there any native dances?

Enrique Servin: Guadalajara; it’s a fashion city. It has a lot of Europe fashion and people. It’s always trying to look different and fashionable. I think it’s the more fancy city in respect of fashion stuff. I don’t go a lot with fashion, but I can look at it. Native dances are the traditional “Jarabe Tapatio,” which is a dance named of the Arab word “Xarab” binged by the Spain conquistadors. It’s a mix of Arab and indigenous cultures.

GrungeCake: Halo or Gears of War?

Enrique Servin: Halo.

GrungeCake: Your views on the North American skateboard craze.

Enrique Servin: I did skateboarding years ago. I liked it. I played a lot of Tony Hawk on Playstation and Xbox. I thinks it’s a great sport, and very spectacular, but I got so hurt…

GrungeCake: When you first heard the name, The GrungeCake Crisis, what did you think of?

Enrique Servin: I imagined a cake blasted with a gun.

GrungeCake: What is next for Enrique Servin?

Enrique Servin: Keep on with my painting projects. I am waiting for a gallery sponsoring; that’s my next goal. I think we have to go further than we think, and reach all we can. The world is an immense place to reach all opportunities.

Courtesy of gregmike.com

GrungeCake: When did you first begin to express yourself as an artist and what triggered it?

Greg Mike: Luckily growing up, I had a family that was very into the arts, everything from scenery to architecture. From as young as I can remember they made sure I was surrounded by creativity, everything from sculpting, painting, drawing. I can remember being 8 or 9 just being taught to think outside the box and to use art as a form of expression. At first, I got really heavy into oil painting but once I hit 12 I started skating all day, everyday. Naturally, the elements of graffiti and street art caught my attention and sucked me in as I started visiting NYC on the weekends. From there art became an addition, I knew at that point I couldn’t live without it and I’d be creating till they put me in the casket.

GrungeCake: We find your artwork very creative and interesting. Do you have any inspiration or theme for your artwork?

Greg Mike: I find inspiration in everything I see, it might be the shape of a pair of scissors sitting on my desk or a dream I had the night before. You can find inspiration in the simplest things in life, it doesn’t even necessarily have to be visual either you just have to keep an open mind. I have always had a strong love for music and feel it really moves me at times. It’s hard for me to draw, paint or create without music on. Music is my speed and definitely motivates my work and keeps my brain fueled and moving. As for a theme, I think recently my newer work has been a bit brighter, bolder and not as serious as it was about 5 years ago. In economic times like this I really feel everyone is so tight, dark and serious, so I try to do my part to add a little bit of life into the mix.

GrungeCake: Do you develop new characters? Or is there just one set that you’ve created to use?

Greg Mike: I am always developing new characters and there are about 100 different characters I will be debuting for the “Popstars and Cokeheads” series. Many have the same signature loudmouth with the snaggle, chipped or missing tooth or tired eyes but all are very different and unique. With art and design I feel it’s all about progression, like a body of water that sits for too long without movement it eventually turns to a nasty swamp so I always attempt to have forward motion and progression to ensure my work doesn’t become stale or stagnant.

GrungeCake: How did the soda can project come about?

Greg Mike: Honestly, I was sketching one day and created these “mad cans” characters which initially were just drawings just getting some emotions out. They weren’t even soda cans at that point. I had been painting 2D surfaces for years and one day after recycling tons of cans it hit me. I worked for about 3 weeks and developed a technique to prime and paint the cans. What started at 1 quickly grew to 20 and I thought to myself I need to do 100 of these guys. It started last February and developed into a rather large project which now includes huge 3D sculptures, cans, teeshirts, posters and collectables and a ton of new items on the horizon. I have always been into word play and one night while tossing and turning trying to get some rest the name “Popstars and Cokeheads” hit me and I ran with it. Here we are today about 1 month out from the show with about 110 pieces finished.

GrungeCake: How long does each can take to completely finish?

Greg Mike: The cans take anywhere from 3-4 hours from start to finish. As for the larger pieces, which will be released at the show take anywhere from 3 days to a week.

GrungeCake: Will they be for sale? If so, where and when?

Greg Mike: Yes, we will be selling them at the shows in San Fran and other cities we are doing the shows at. After the show remaining items will be launched online on www.gregmike.com

GrungeCake: With your array of canvases that we’ve seen you use so far, what other mediums would you like to use that you haven’t yet?

Greg Mike: I’d like to get into building and recycling larger 3D pieces that most people don’t usually think of as art. I really found the project at hand interesting as most people look at cans a something to hold their soda and toss them or crush them. I hope to make people think about what surrounds them is really art and what can be converted or recycled into art. I find it so much more challenging working on 3D surfaces and having to develop a new process to achieve the look you are going for.

GrungeCake: Where can people view your work?

Greg Mike: Gallery shows and on the streets. The best place to stay up to date is at: www.gregmike.com

GrungeCake: Would you be interested in doing some work with GrungeCake?

Greg Mike: I am always open to new projects and ideas, let me know what you have in mind!

GrungeCake: When you first saw/heard the name “GrungeCake Crisis” what were your initial thoughts?

Greg Mike: An old beat up birthday cake but maybe I was thinking a little to literally. (Greg Mike smiles)

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Photo: Courtesy of Chris Granillo

GrungeCake: Where do you hail from and what town do you currently represent?

Chris Granillo: I’m originally from small town south of LA called the Coachella Valley. I fell in love with the Bay Area’s swag, so I decided to switch it up and move to Oakland, Ca.

GrungeCake: How would you define “art?”

Chris Granillo: Art to me is a therapy, helps me vent out issues through expression weather it’s street art, oil painting, sculpture, or screen-printing.

GrungeCake: Who do you remember as your earliest creative supporter and encourager?

Chris Granillo: My earliest supporter was within my graffiti crew — not being afraid of creating large scale work, being out there painting guerrilla style type work, you don’t know how permanent it is. The stuff I would do were mostly characters, before all there fancy spray can tips, we used basic stock tips to paint, which made it difficult to create thin lines and intricate designs, so I started to paint with house paint, brushes, stencils and other mediums.

GrungeCake: How do you feel the economy is affecting your art/work/life?

Chris Granillo: The economy is definitely taking a role in the art scene movement. I see less solo art shows and more group shows sprouting; I choose to make opportunities to create more work now than when the economy was stable. I receive more exposure from lowbrow collectors; ironically, I feel more movement in my career now than before.

GrungeCake: I got one of those official Bob Ross oil painting kits when I was like 6! When were you first introduced to paints, brushes, and canvas?

Chris Granillo: Bob Ross? The white guy with the afro? He has skills.

I went to a thrift store with my mom when I was 11, I asked her to buy some paintings, and she said, “Why the hell do you want those?” The total came out to about $8 dollars. I took it out of the crusty old frame, painted over it with some house paint, spray paint and whatever I had. I started realizing that I can recreate over something that has been neglected or lost value, like found objects. I find inspiration in diversity, religion, cultures around us, making something out of nothing, Victorian architecture, folk art, be it a can in the sand or distressed materials or surface. I see certain things in a different way when it comes to art.

GrungeCake: When did it become a serious lifestyle/career for you?

Chris Granillo: I think when I figured out school wasn’t for me that’s when it slapped me in the face. I didn’t have any support from rich parents to go to art school so just focusing on art and working full time jobs, I started working on several series and they became commissions to some murals, CDs and record covers, more commercial designs.

GrungeCake: You’re work reflects the stylings of some of the greats. Salvador Dali, for one, comes to mind. Are you a fan of his, and how does the comparison make you feel?

Chris Granillo: Surrealism is mostly compared to Dali’s, I am a fan of Dali’s, and I personally like the works of Lee Bontecou sculptures and also a fan of Odd Nerdrum dark paintings.

GrungeCake: Is there such thing as a “mistake” or “misplaced brushstroke” with your style of art?

Chris Granillo: To me every brush stroke is a placed brush stroke, even in abstract work.

GrungeCake: Visually, “Granillo-Excel,” “Wall,” and “Lee and Chris Deck 2” are some of my favorites. Are there any cool stories behind any of them?

Chris Granillo: Granillo-Excel piece was done at P.A.C. sessions event (live art show) in San Jose, a that painting feature 3 artist tattoo artist Paco-Excel (AWR), Downtimer and myself, live music by Digital Underground, I always have fun painting large live art, especially when you get free drinks.

GrungeCake: What’s the energy like at one of your live exhibitions?

Chris Granillo: A diverse crowd, I think most of the people who come enjoy themselves. I have a lot of friends from different backgrounds, hippies, scientists, scholars, gangsters, so you can imagine. Theories about my work that I might not see, assumptions, I get a lot of interesting questions.

GrungeCake: What was one of the most memorable moments of your career?

Chris Granillo: I think working on the Cal State East Bay (Hayward, Ca) murals; it really had an effect on my life. It consists of 3 large murals in the union building images: Creatures playing chess, pool and ping-pong. I hired my best friend and shortly before the mural unavailing, he was killed in a car crash, this took a powerful toll on life. In 2006 they remolded the union building and all 3 murals are still there.

GrungeCake: They say if you “… choose to do something you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” Is that something you can relate to?

Chris Granillo: Most definitely time is money, I feel you have to use it wisely especially when you don’t have much of booth.

GrungeCake: What’s next for you in your career? What’s next?

Chris Granillo: I just started on a comic book called Creature Kingdoom; it’s about a creature who works for an obese queen that has no respect for her workers in a garden of one-eyed flowers. It’s a new medium to me; I can express myself with writing and create the characters as the story evolves.