Patrick Martinez
Deeply rooted in the L.A. graffiti scene, artist Patrick Martinez uses satire and irony to create a world where police officers are not always the heroes, and thugs are not always the bad guys. Influenced by both Hip-Hop and fine art, Martinez has mastered the technique of balancing street and classical aesthetic. Working closely with Mr. Cartoon and Estevan Oriol, Martinez has put together designs for Stussy clothing and accessories, Upper Playground, and Rime Magazine.
I caught up with Patrick to talk about police, nutrition and art. Here is what was said:
StopBeingFamous: How does your bedroom look? Be as descriptive as possible, from the lint on the floor to the objects on the dresser. It's like a game.
Patrick Martinez: Let’s see… Light brown carpet, a king-size bed with lots of clothes on it. My room is very dirty right now. It looks like skid row up in here. Lots of shoes on the floor lined up. I have a very uninspiring room- I keep it that way so I can get my ass out of bed and bounce out into the city for inspiration. I have a Drago-published book and a Sharpie on my nightstand that was given to me by Estevan Oriol. A pile of clothes on the other side of my bed that is growing into a mountain. Next to my bed is a small table with bills and other shit that I need to organize.
SBF: For those of us who have never been to Pasadena, California- what's it like?
PM: It’s like any other city in California. It has its nice parts, the in between, and the bad parts, which create a dynamic city. You have gangsters buying Frappuccinos at Starbucks. It’s a great place for subtle juxtapositions. I like it. My brother likes it too; he has it [Pasadena] tattooed on his stomach, along with the zip code.
SBF: What role do you play in your family?
PM: I play the organizer. I get everyone together for special occasions. I also try to keep everyone positive and together when shit gets tough. It’s hard when your family is going through hard times, you try to be positive and strong, but that shit is hard, you know?
SBF: A healthy amount of your work features police. What inspired you to add them in your work?
PM: When I was small, firemen and cops would come to our schools and talk about safety and trust. I’m cool with firemen, but not cops; cops betray people's trust. I just wanted to shed light on that issue. There are cool cops out there, but I have also met some real pieces of work with badges and guns that harassed the shit out of families. I read a book about Alfred Hitchcock that listed things he was afraid of, and guess what one of them was- cops! When we see authority figures, like cops, we are supposed to feel a sense of safety, but in my experience, I have felt anxious and even a sense of fear. Why is that?
SBF: We found you through your feature on Juxtapoz.com. Where have you been hiding? Nowadays, how difficult is it for a visual artist to become popular?
PM: [Laughing] I haven’t been hiding. I’m just not good at “promoting” myself. Creating art should be first. That’s my job; I’m an artist. Promotion, as I understand it, is a job in itself, you know? So, I just let others handle promotion, but I help when I can. I feel like I should focus on the work and the work should speak for itself, not to be cliché. It is hard for artists to get noticed. Some artists psych themselves out- they expect to blow up in a few years, like someone owes them something. I don't get it. Then they become bitter. I think that's the wrong angle. You have to produce and not expect anything- continue to be inspired and inspire. Challenge yourself, show your work to as many people as you can get in front of it and don't get bored; keep it moving.
SBF: What inspired your piece "High Fructose Corn Loca"?
PM: The inspiration was based on my observation of nutrition and poor diets in the inner cities. Mothers and fathers not having enough time to prepare a decent meal for their children because they're living fast paced, stressful lives. Their paychecks don't allow them to shop at stores like Whole Foods. Sometimes, their only alternative is fast food and junk food, which is easy and fast to grab. There aren't a lot of fast food restaurants in rich areas of the city, you can bet on that.
SBF: This is the part of the interview where you can say anything you want, whatever is on your mind at this moment.
PM: Shit is hectic out there- people are struggling and having heart attacks at a young age because life is too much. We are in a recession and the cost of living is ridiculous. I'm interested in that and want to tap into it. That’s the inspiration for my "Break Yourself" foam hands. It's like a recession remix of the original “Number One” foam finger. Times are rough, minimum wage is not enough.
SBF: What do you think would make society better?
PM: God, I don’t know. Honest people that do good, not for financial gain. Better quality people? People that are willing to listen to each other. People are always going to conflict with others in society because shit happens and living life is very dynamic and complicated- but if you know how to sort out your beefs and have compassion, you can begin to forgive people or even start to understand them. I’m still working on that myself.
SBF: Much of your work is inspired by Hip-Hop and graffiti. What is your take on Hip-Hop culture today?
PM: Hip Hop has evolved, but I’m not sure if the original idea is strong and well. Some who are involved in the graffiti scene don’t even associate themselves with Hip Hop. Graffiti can stand on its own. I don’t think Hip Hop culture powers all graffiti- the same goes for rap. I think graffiti is a voice for the youth and a form of expression, like rap, break dancing and DJing. The quality of rap music that is out now is mediocre, but that may be me getting old and missing the sounds of A Tribe Called Quest, Masta Ace, Public Enemy and early Ice Cube- that raw street sound. I used to be excited about rap music. I would have to say the one element of Hip-Hop that is still killing it worldwide is graffiti. They are doing some amazing shit. Graffiti artists are designing and manufacturing brands of spray paint dedicated to the art of graffiti. That's dope! Some of these graffiti dudes have their own Nikes, designed by them, and they don’t even play basketball! I love it.
SBF: What is the most interesting thing you’ve experienced this week?
PM: I would say being at this photography space in Los Angeles with a lot of rich people. I mean, the photography was great but there were lots and lots of rich people that didn't seem effected by the recession. I kind of felt out of place but it was cool. Dope experience.
SBF: Leave our readers with a poem.
PM: "No idea is original, there's nothing new under the sun, it's never what you do, but how it's done."- Nas
