Smithe

Are there other books, magazines, or movies that had a big impact?
Everything in general! I am very graphic and I like to see all the details in images, from Manga to mechanical books. One that had a big influence was an encyclopedia that my dad collected in the ’80s called Salvat Automobile Encyclopedia. It was my favorite when I was a child.  

At your recommendation, I visited the magnificent murals at Palacio de Bellas down the street from your studio. Who is your favorite of the Mexican muralists?
Jorge González Camarena is my favorite. Both his technique, as well as the color palette and topics are awesome, very advanced for the year in which he was making them. 

You told me your parents were always supportive, finding you things to draw with, even if they were simple. How important was that encouragement?
Yes, my parents were always very supportive, even in my graffiti stage. I got into trouble quite easily and they still helped me so I could do whatever I wanted. 

When did you decide that you wanted to try and make a living as an artist?
I think it was when I obtained my first design job. It was for a Mexican skateboard brand called Aztlan, which is still around. It was my first opportunity to earn some money from my designs, and afterwards, it became clearer to me that it was possible to work in what  interested me. I never envisioned doing fine art, I was always more focused on design and illustration. 

Do you feel like you have to do something creative every day?
Not always. I have production or preparation stages before starting work every day. What does happen to me is that I always have to be doing something. With my studio Copete Cohete, the clothing brand Tony Delfino, my gallery TOBA, and my band Stendal, I always have something new to do that keeps me active every day. I hope in the coming years to be able to focus more on my personal work and, little by little, give myself some space from all the other responsibilities. 

Everything has happened slowly, with very calm steps. The clothing brand was for fun and to have a good time making T-shirts for our friends. We never planned for these things, they just happened. It’s the same with the gallery and illustration studio—in talks and meetings, the ideas come out and then we start acting upon them. I like the fact that I have not planned for a lot of what we have accomplished.

Earlier you mentioned the hope that now that these things are close to running on their own, you will have time to focus on your personal work. What pushes you to keep changing things up?
Yes, finally, after being torn to pieces for every project, each one is working on its own and I am happy for that. To be honest, I want to focus more on my graphics and art in general. I wish I could explore more things that I have not been able to accomplish as Smithe, and I think I have in mind what the next steps are. 

Any hints?
I​ ​really​ ​want​ ​to​ ​explore​ ​my​ ​stuff​ ​on​ ​a​ ​3D​ ​level. ​I​ ​want​ ​to​ ​leave​ ​flat​ ​work​ ​surfaces​ ​for​ ​a​ while and​ ​start​ ​putting​ ​more​ ​depth​ ​into​ ​my​ ​work.

You’ve been a part of the band Stendal for a while now. What are the differences creatively between playing music and painting?
It is very different. You have to communicate with a lot more people, not with words, but to reply with sounds. When we make or try to make music, there’s nothing written, we do live rehearsals, and it stays that way. We listen, and if we don’t like it, the four of us continue to work. It’s a process totally different from painting, another side of me that I like to keep active.

What part of the process is similar?
Maybe​ ​when​ ​you​ ​have​ ​an​ ​idea​ ​in​ ​your​ ​mind​ ​but​ ​never​ ​expect​ ​the​ ​final​ ​outcome.​ ​​What​ ​I​ ​first​ ​imagine​ is always​ ​different​ ​from ​the​ ​final​ ​product.

Do you improvise a lot when you paint? 
I improvise almost always. Sometimes I will plan things if a piece is commissioned, but, for the most part, there are no sketches. Lately, I have been wanting to change that and dedicate more time to planning the construction of my work and see how far it can go. 

Collaboration is a big part of many mural projects, and you are constantly surrounded by others in the office. How important is it for you to have a good community of other creative people around?
I don’t know, I love working with a lot of people. That’s my way of working, to always be surrounded by creative people and do things together. I can’t imagine being alone working in my studio. It wouldn’t be me. I think I would be bored by now and end up doing something else, ha ha.

Obviously there is the scale, but how else does your creative process differ from working on a painting in the studio and working on a mural?
They are totally two different worlds. One is super hermetic and personal, while, with the other one, you have to adapt to the environment, the people, the space, and even the weather to accomplish the mission. I have been in many different situations, and painting outside always varies so much. Each wall is different. Painting in the studio is much more controlled and you set your own limits for how much time you want to spend on a piece. When you are painting at festivals with large walls, time is always very tight to complete the work. I am already tired with that and I think I will be leaving that a bit. 

Mexico City has a long and influential artistic history. What do you think it is about the city that attracts creative people and inspires artists? 
I think that a city is always full of information, movement, noise, and people. At this time, Mexico City is having a moment where it is growing in a creative way. Distrito Federal (Greater Mexico City) has a lot of history and it is very cheap to live and have a studio, in comparison to other big cities. The artistic scene is growing and that makes me happy.