David Young V Breaks Out The Heavy Artillery

David Young V has been on quite a tear as of late with a recent show in LA and tons new murals throughout San Francisco. It was just about fall last year with we received an email from Brett Amory telling us about David’s work. What transpired over the last year was a journey into the creative process to curate a unique release of 3-dimensional objects with the talented David Young V. After spending a hours on his site, watching a several videos of his past show at White Walls in SF we were excited to immerse ourselves in David’s vocabulary. A post apocalyptic take over is deeply rooted in our inner city and the rebellion has found a foot hold. With the use of icons and symbols David has refined the language used by the rebel forces to communicate within the resistance. Well at least that’s our take on it, and after a lengthy conversation on our interpretation of his recent body of work and with his feedback we all felt there was a continuity in his 3D work that would translate to a release on 1xRUN.

Artist David Young V Profile – White Walls, SF – Warholian from Warholian on Vimeo.

Living and working in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District, David Young V has been smashing through the barriers between the streets of San Francisco and the walls of the city’s galleries. Early on his work was mostly pen and ink on paper , but we’re extremely excited with his recent foray into the many 3D objects made exclusively for this special 1xRUN release.
To learn more about David Young V check out these videos and read the Q&A below in our latest installation of the 1xRUN Thru Interview for Veneration.
1xRUN Thru Interview
Veneration by David Young V

1xRUN: Tell us a little bit about these mixed media pieces you’ve created for Veneration, when were they created and with what materials?
David Young V: All of these pieces were created in August of 2012. For the firearms each is a replica firearm, one shot sign paint and cell vinyl. For each of the wood cut outs I used mixes of ink, acrylic paint, coffee, paper on wood Photocopied original images.

1xRun: Tell us how the idea and execution came about?
David Young V: For the firearms, first I took apart the firearm, then coated each piece with spray bondo, filled all screw holes with wood filler, painted each piece in layers with One Shot sign paint, scraped up dry layers with steel wool, put firearm back together, ‘then dirtied’ it up with dry brushing black cell- vinyl over surface. For the wood cut out pieces I coated the images in coffee for days (multiple layers) adhered the images to wood with archival ‘Yes’ glue, cut the adhered images from wood, redrew the images over photocopy black) with heavily pigmented ink and then painted some details in with acrylic pain. Then to finish each piece was coated across the front face with a UV varnish.

1xRun: How long did these pieces take? What is unique about each?
David Young V: Each piece took roughly 3 days to finish I would say. Each piece is individual and hand painted. There are no two that are alike.

1xRun: Why should people buy these pieces?
David Young V: If you like the work or it appeals to you on some level, feel free to purchase it.

1xRun: Describe the pieces in one gut reaction word.
David Young V: Absolute.

1xRun: When did you first start making art? What was your first piece?
David Young V: As a small child, before I could walk…as so my mother tells me. As far as my first piece…if you count drawing on the wall with feces as a baby, then that’s it. If your looking for something classified as ‘higher’ art then it would be a drawing of telephone poles on paper.

David Young V – Studio Visit from Babylon Falling on Vimeo.

1xRun: What artists inspired you early on?
David Young V: Early on it was comic book artists. I was really into Rob Liefeld, Jim Lee, Todd McFarlane and others. Later on it became Jack Kirby, he’s the one that still resonates with me the most. After that I was heavily into HR Giger, Wayne Douglas Barlow, Robert Venosa and others of that genre. After and during this twentieth century abstract art had a huge impact on me. Cubism, Dada, The Bauhaus and most importantly abstract expressionism all left their mark. It wasn’t until my later 20’s that I got into graffiti and street art. I suppose that’s the one that fits me the best. It is good to go through phases.

Rob Liefeld

1xRun: What artists inspire you now?
David Young V: I’m very inspired by the aesthetic and concepts displayed in the Neill Blomkamp films. Eddie Colla has definitely effected me on many levels. Any artist working text is something that effects me, Ben Eine, Max Ripo and others. I’m looking forward to the ROA installation at 941 Geary in San Francisco for Sept. 2012. Also, after seeing Meggs’ show at White Walls Gallery a few months back I’m excited to see where he’ll go in the future.

1xRun: Do you listen to music while you work? If so what? If not then what is your environment like when you work?
David Young V: I generally do not listen to music while I work. I watch a lot of movies and movie trailers though. Most of these are in the Sci-Fi/ action genre. There is something about the energy of that genre that gets me going. Even if I watch a good trailer for a movie I don’t like I’ll critique it separate from the movie and watch it over and over again. There is an art to making trailers that I appreciate. They’re like short well edited punk songs with visuals.

District 9 directed by Neill Bloomkamp

1xRun: If you could collaborate with any living artist who would it be and why?
David Young V: It would be Neill Bloomkamp. I know that not the type of artist you may not be referring too in this question. However, thats my answer. I’ll take any chance I can to work with that man. Even if he hit me up to paint a mural to use as a background in one of his films, I’ll take it and do it for free if I have too.

1xRun: If you could collaborate with any deceased artists who would it be and why?
David Young V: It would be Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque during their early Cubist phase, before Picasso was PICASSO. I think that was a crucial point for them both. It would be interesting to mix my style with theirs and see what happens from there. Plus, I think it would be amazing to experience Paris in that era.

“The things that Picasso and I said to one another during those years will never be said again, and even if they were, no one would understand them anymore. It was like being roped together on a mountain.” – Georges Braque

1xRun: What was the first piece of art that you bought? Do you still have it?
David Young V: The first and only piece I ever bought was a Brett Amory from his senior exhibition at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco several years ago.

1xRun: What was the last piece of art that you bought?
David Young V: That very same Brett Amory, but if you include barter or trades as ‘purchased’ then it would be a Jessica Hess. I traded a piece of mine for an original oil painting of hers. If you ask me I got the better part of the bargain.

1xRun: What else have you been up to lately?
David Young V: I just finished up a massive installation project at Hold Up Gallery in downtown LA with Eddie Colla and Hugh Leeman. The project was entitled ‘Epilogue‘ dealt with our portrayal of the apocalypse and post-apocalypse. I currently have mural coming up in SF at the new storefront of The Loin. I’ll be doing a floor mural there very soon. Shortly after that I’m doing a small mural at Old Crow Tattoo in Oakland for their annual ‘Stand Tall’ exhibition. Then in January I have another solo exhibition at White Walls Gallery in San Francisco.

1xRun: Where else can people find and follow you?
David Young V: WebsiteBlogFacebookFacebook ArtpageTumblr

-1xRUN