1xRUN Thru Interview
LivEvil by Van Saro & John Park
1xRun: Tell us a little bit about this piece, is the original still for sale?
Van Saro: The original is sold.
John Park: Unfortunately the original is already sold.
1xRun: Was this piece part of a recent theme, series or show that you had?
Van Saro: John and have been doing an ongoing series of collaboration paintings. In the past 2 years we’ve done 5 paintings together, and we got more shit coming. I think we will paint together for a long time.
John Park: It was the fourth or fifth collab that we did together. The themes varied but the composition stayed pretty consistent with Van’s beautifully painted figures anchoring my background colors and support characters. The quote provided by Van is from the Buddah.
1xRUN: When was this piece created and with what materials?
Van Saro: This piece was created about a year ago. My part was done with oil paint, and it’s on wood.
John Park: It was started live at La Luz de Jesus for one of their parties, I forget the exact date. I used Prismacolor Nupastels and acrylic paint on wood.
1xRun: Tell us how the idea and execution came about?
Van Saro: We just let the painting develop naturally, not much pre planning on this one.
John Park: We had been staying pretty consistent with the compositions of our collabs, usually with one of Van’s oil figures left of center anchoring the piece while I handled the background color composition and added support characters. I don’t think we discussed anything before starting.
1xRun: How long did the piece take?
Van Saro: my part took about 2 weeks
John Park: My parts only took a few days but Van’s character was a bit more labor intensive.
1xRun: What is unique about this piece?
Van Saro: It’s the mashing of 2 minds, I think that makes it very interesting
John Park: I feel that all of our collabs are very unique even though they have a common compositional structure to them. This piece is quite dark.
1xRun: Why should people buy this print?
Van Saro: what else you gonna do with your money?? Pay child support?
John Park: If they feel a connection to it either aesthetically or emotionally.
1xRun: Describe this piece in one gut reaction word.
Van Saro: Tripped the F$ck out (fuck it, it’s one long word).
John Park: BEWARE!
1xRun: You two have collaborated a few times, when did you first meet?
Van Saro: About 3-4 years ago.
John Park: We met 3 years ago at Hummingbird Nest Ranch up in Simi Valley doing a live painting event.
1xRun: What was the first piece you both worked on and where?
Van Saro: we did 2 paintings together at Lightening In A Bottle 3 years ago.
John Park: Our first collaboration was actually 2 pieces that we did for the Lightning in a Bottle festival 3 years ago.
1xRun: What aspects of each others work are you drawn most to?
Van Saro: John paints very differently from myself, and I really like that . It challenges me to keep evolving my own style.
John Park: As a classically trained painter I can appreciate the level of skill and patience that Van’s work requires, but I think the most important aspect of Van’s work is the message he is trying to send. It’s seldom heard outside the progressive political community but it is one of grave urgency: The United States has undergone a coup d’etat in slow motion and we now live in an oligarchy/kleptocracy.
1xRun: Any big shows or events coming up that you’d like to share?
Van Saro: Lightning in a Bottle. Other then that, Im doing new paintings for clients, and Tattooing. my next big show is way down the road
John Park: We’ll both be painting at the Lightning in a Bottle festival again this year. It’s an amazing music and art festival with, this year, over 40 live painters on site working on some of the best contemporary art being produced in the country.
1xRun: Where else can people find you?
Van Saro: Website – Facebook @Van Saro – Instagram @VanSaro
John Park: #johnparkart
-1xRUN