Seminal Los Angeles artist MunkOne has in recent years established himself as the authentic purveyor of street-level aesthetic and soul. With a narrative style in his work that transverses the line between the not-so-subtle nuances of hip-hop culture, thematic horror recreation and political commentary, MunkOne is redefining the boundaries of mixed-media art as it occurs.
Truth&Rights recently spoke to the sometimes elusive artist regarding his expression and the perceptions of his craft:
T&R: Much attention was focused on both your work and that of Shepard Fairey during the 2008 presidential election. How do you see the artist’s role evolving in the realm of political relevance and influence?
MunkOne: I don’t think the role has evolved all that much. Artwork has been used to influence political and popular opinion since ancient times, so to me its not surprising that artists had an influence during this election. Although most of the time in the past it has been commissioned by the people in power, so the change I do see was that this was the first time art came from the ground up, especially for something as big as the presidential elections. In my opinion this was partly due to the use of new technologies at hand, such as the Internet that gave regular people the power to organize and promote the amazing amount of quality art that was being created and began a sort of snowball effect. Just like rumors can seemingly become reality on the Internet nowadays, any one person’s poster could now essentially become a campaign. Now that we have seen how artists can rally around a candidate I am sure people will try to duplicate the effect for future elections, but I’m not sure yet if they will seem quite as genuine and influential as this one was.
T&R: How does the cultural nuance of Los Angeles affect your creative process on a daily basis?
MunkOne: With so many walks of life that are interwoven into the area it’s hard not to be influenced by something. I notice people moving around all the time each with their own specific agenda especially noticeable on the freeways when stuck in traffic. Just the sheer amount of people trying to live their lives somehow inspires me to live mine. For the most part I would say it’s the amount of artistic expression that can be seen from the galleries to the streets or even in just the way people dress that influences me to create something daily, if I don’t then I just feel lazy.
T&R: Do you find that there is a particular time of day or portion of the year that is more conducive for your creative output?
MunkOne: Drawing and painting seems to work better at night for me. During the day there is always something to do and late at night I tend to be able to focus or not focus depending on what the painting or drawing is calling for. I also tend to come up with ideas right before I fall asleep so I try to keep a sketchbook on hand next to the bed. Over all I would say Summer is the busiest part of my year because its a good time to have art shows and also many bands are on tour and need art as well.
T&R: Over the past ten years, it seems as though there has been a constant cross-over between disciplines in the graphic arts. Tattoo artists, graphic designers and acrylic artists are often times one in the same. How has your affinity for multiple distinctions shaped your expression?
MunkOne: Since I am not confined to the idea of only being able to work in a certain field or through one medium I think my creative process has become experimental and in a way more free. One medium might directly influence the process in which I create in another, so I gain experience while not becoming bored by the repetition of working only one way. My appreciation for tattoos can show up in my paintings and my paintings can influence my work for clients. I think this will become the norm for the next generation of artists who will grow up with the knowledge that being confined to a certain field is a thing of the past.
T&R: Your artwork is obviously known for its iconic presence and dark themes. What is it that you ultimately hope people take away from your style as well as the intention behind it?
MunkOne: I hope they take away different feelings from each painting – some are dark, some, not so much. My work is sort of an expression of what I am feeling at the time, just my thoughts. Either when I want to get away from reality and paint something other- worldly or paint about a certain political topic on my mind its usually what I feel I need to paint. This is what comes naturally to me, if I could write I would write, if I could dance I would dance, but I can’t and so I paint and draw and create in the ways I know how. My intention may not be so much for viewer but more for myself. I think I have had a certain consciousness of my mortality since an early age so I feel the need to create while I still can before my time runs out. I try to grow and find myself through each design, trying to match what it is I feel and see in my head, bringing it out into the world. Hopefully others might like it but I also hope they might be inspired, scared or just moved to maybe not draw per say but to do whatever it is in their life that they yearn to do.
T&R: What does an artist-minded, patron company like Upper Playground contribute to your craft?
MunkOne: I think they support, promote and inspire artists to be themselves and express themselves in a way that pushes the art to a whole other level. Working with brands such as Upper Playground and Tribal Gear who work with such amazing talent on a day to day basis, personally makes me feel like I need to continue representing those brands with the quality of art and creativity that they are known for. Working with them and knowing the company of artists I am in, has been and continues to be one of the highlights of my career.
T&R: Having an extensive apparel background yourself, do you find that you’re more inclined than most artists to use clothing as a canvas for the wider distribution of your work?
MunkOne: When I am coming up with ideas I tend to take into consideration which method of visual distribution would best fit the vision in my mind. Not everything I create will look good on canvas and not everything I paint will look good on a tee. Some paintings just look better on large walls. I think clothing is an option I have kept open just because of the resources at hand. Most recently I have leaned more to prints because of their longevity and collectible nature.
T&R: Take us through a basic day in the life of MunkOne.
MunkOne: Well I wake up when the alarm goes off playing to the theme to super mario bros. and then try to get out of bed. I check my emails and get ready for the day. My daughter is usually up before me, so I make sure she has something to eat. Some mornings I go out for a very short run but that doesn’t really happen everyday so I’ll have to exclude that part. I then check the news online to make sure the world hasn’t ended or to see if we’ve found the cure to cancer yet. I sketch out some ideas for designs and then either one of the following options is taken: I either paint on my easel, or paint on the computer. Depending on when if I finish I might also update my website and or or send out products people buy from my site. If I am home, I usually eat lunch while answering emails but have dinner at the kitchen table with my family. Although this is my full time job and there is always something to do, I try to make sure I spend as much time with my family as possible. After my daughter has been put to bed for the night I continue working and eventually fall asleep exhausted at around 1am wishing there was more time in the day. I really enjoy my days and what I do and feel so fortunate to be able live my life as an artist that I sometimes wish I didn’t have to sleep.
T&R: You seem like a very private individual. Is it becoming more difficult to protect your anonymity as your name grows?
MunkOne: I don’t think I mind now, nor am I or actively trying to protect my anonymity as much these days. Although it might just be a byproduct of working most of the time. ha ha. When I first started out using the name Munk One what I wanted was to make sure people judged the art on its own merit and allow them to come up with their own ideas and opinions of the what the art meant without really having much knowledge about the artist. Now that I think the art is taking on a life of it’s own, I feel more comfortable with people knowing more about me or even what I look like.
T&R: Who or what is affecting your work the most in this moment?
MunkOne: I haven’t told anyone yet, but at the moment I am adding glow in the dark paint to my paintings for an upcoming solo show this October in Portland OR at the Fifity 24PDX Gallery. This is something totally new for me so I’m not really sure how it will turn out, but that’s all part of the fun isn’t it?
[...] One hasn’t been sitting idle in the months since he last appeared in Truth&Rights’ VOL2009.02. Having recently appeared in Shepard Fairey’s “Art for Obama,” a collection of [...]
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