DIaBEtic DEW555: Interview with Luster Kaboom

q) Well, first of all please tell us a little about yourself.

a)I live in Downtown Phoenix, Arizona in the United States with my wife, two children, dog and two cats. Phoenix is the hottest city in America. I want to move somewhere else but the winters here won’t let me go. I love the winter warmth.

q) Had you always planned on being an artist [or had you other hopes]?

a)As a child I was bored and lonely. Drawing was a way to pass the time. I do not think it would turn into a carreer till I decided to go to art school. Now I wish I was anything but an artist! Haha, just kidding.

q) Do you have a preferred medium to work on? Why?

a)Lately I have been building large panels and stretching canvas over them. This came about because I like the structure of the wood to paint on. You can lay it flat and get on top of it or whatever whereas canvas can only be painted upright with minimal pressure. I like canvas though because it is so clean and smooth. It hides nails and imperfections and if ever the panel were to become structurally unsound you could remove the canvas and build a new panel.

q) How would you describe your style?

a)When you make love you can have it nice and slow or you can have it fast and nasty. I always liked fast and nasty! I don’t mind working on a large piece for a long time as long as its executed fast and nasty. Otherwise I get bored and abandon the project. Like the work where there are crowds of people, if I can do 7 or 8 people a day that’s good enough for me. Any slower than that and it’s likely to be set aside indefinitely.

q) Do you go through any certain processes while trying to produce your work?

a)From a technical side I guess I lay down backgrounds and then add the subjects of my paintings but other than that I have a very random process. Kind of starts from an idea and grows from there. I never really know what's going to happen till its over.

q) What are you working on at present?

a)I’m working on a cowboy painting of a little whorehouse with all these little cowboys chasing naked whores all over the desert. It’s a small painting collaboration with Jodi Maas. Unlike me, She’s a serious respectable painter but she has a sense of humor to let me ruin her nice landscape with unruly cowboys. It’s for a cowboy show at a gallery here called Pravus. I’m also working on a few small paintings to send to the Pony Club gallery in Portland.
q) What about recent sources of inspirations?

a)Comic books are what really drive my art. I started out and went to school to do comics. When it was hard for me financially I turned to painting for illustration and gallery shows. I am working on doing new comics though.

q) What are some of your obsessions?

a)I love old photos. I like to collect them. Sometimes people think its strange to collect photos of other people but I love to look at all kinds of people. That and comic books. I love to read comic books. Fruit smoothies too I would die for a fruit smoothie.

q) Which galleries have you shown at and which galleries would you like to show at?

a)I just finished a show here in Phoenix at the Chocolate Factory. Last year I was in a show at the Mesa Arts center which was really awesome and the year before that Colin Chillag and I did a collaborative show at Angstrom Gallery in LA.
I would really like to show more places out of state or abroad perhaps. Anywhere they will have me!

q) If people would like to contact you, how would you like to be contacted?

a)I suppose through my email:

lusterkaboom@hotmail.com

or through my myspace account

www.myspace.com/lusterkaboom

q) Do you have any suggestions or advice for artists that are just starting out?

a)Do what you like because you will have to do it for a long time. Don’t change styles because of trends. If you stay with a style you like long enough, it will become its own trend and you will win the game!

q) Who are your favorite artists?

a)Bwana Spoons is my first favourite artist. The first time I saw his art I fell in love with his sense of humor and his stupid zines. My second favourite artist would have to be Colin Chillag. He’s a good friend of mine now but before I knew him I traded my pickup truck to have one of his paintings. My third favourite artist would have to be Jordan Crane. The first time I saw his comic “last lonely Saturday” or something like that I did not like him but after that I saw he had lots of comics and illustrations of sad and crazy stories and lots of killing and bears eating people and stuff. There is also this artist named jon Haddock. He’s pretty amazing. He just stared doing these kinetic sculptures that move with all these homemade gears and mechanics. I supposed I have a lot of favourite artists. Basil wolverton. David Sandlin. Kaz. Max Anderson. Dave Choe-san one. Aubrey Beardsley. Oh wait, scratch all that, Salvadork Dali is my Favorite Artist of all time!

q) What books are on your nightstand?

a)I don’t have any books on my nightstand but I have been reading this zine called “Old Growth” by this guy named scrappers. I got it for free when I ordered a calendar off bwana spoons website. I also been trying to read this book “the Secret Source” by Maja D’Aoust.