Returning with a very special holiday release we welcome back Los Angeles graffiti legend Chaz Bojorquez who returns with extremely limited offerings from his personal collection. Pulled from the Museum Of Contemporary Art’s (MOCA) Art In The Streets Bojorquez’s Three Tags was one of the focal pieces of the historic exhibition. Also available is Somos Locos which highlights Bojorquez’s community in Highland Park in Los Angeles. Each is available in extremely limited quantities so grab yours while you still can right here on 1xRUN. Read on as Chaz Bojorquez talks about these two iconic releases . . .
1xRUN: Tell us a little bit about each image we have here, anything immediate you would like us to highlight about these two prints?
Chaz Bojorquez: Each print is unique and both come from a different experience of canvas painting and murals. The origins of each print is different. They represent two styles, color and black and white done twenty years apart. Three Tags print was originally from the mural I painted that took me 4 days to paint at the historical Art In The Streets show at MOCA Los Angeles in 2011. We had a huge response from the public to reproduce the image as a print and it was published by Modern Multiples Publishing. This print represents three lettering styles of mine creating a layer of five decades as a graffiti writer.
Locos was a large painting done in 1987 in black and white that took me almost a year to complete. We decided to add the red to the print working better as a graphic image. The lettering speaks about my community of Highland Park, L.A. “We are the Locos (crazies) of Ave 43, Chaz Ese and Blades”. Today both the painting and print are in the permanent collection of the Laguna Museum of Art, Laguna Beach, California. It was an edition of 120 and later put into storage, but here we have the few remaining for sale, this will be the last release.
1x: What is unique about these two prints compared with your other work?
Bojorquez: I personally feel that my strength in art are my paintings, they represents my ideals and dreams the best and I have the most control with the brush. I first start with an idea when I paint but after a couple of months the painting becomes the teacher and I follow wherever the painting takes me. Prints are done pretty fast in one month or less and the beauty of prints are they are accessible to many at an affordable price.
1x: Why should people buy this one of these prints?
Bojorquez: If you are a collector of mine or want to be, these prints are the only way to be able to acquire my work. My paintings are unique and ‘one of a kind’, difficult to buy and very expensive. But I also put the same energy and care to create the best images for my prints, they do not leave my studio unless I am as confident with the print as I am with a finished painting. I work to achieve the highest quality in both my painting and prints.
1x: Describe these two prints in one gut reaction word.
Bojorquez: Quality.
1x: You’ve been staying really busy this year, bring us up to speed on what have you been up to over the last few months and how 2017 went for you?
Bojorquez: This year started with the release of my new art book Chaz Bojorquez from Zero+ Publishing. Later flying to Rome for the Cross the Street exhibit and recently my wife
and I curated one of the largest L.A. shows this year Masters of Style. The Smithsonian Archive Museum is collecting more of my drawings and writings. Always doing clothes and product designs and I’m always in one to five gallery exhibits at the same time. Every week I have foreign visitors to my studio for photo shoots or I spend a lot of my time writing answers to the many questions for books and magazine interviews that are sent via email. I’m busy everyday!
1x: What are some of the ways you have been trying to push yourself with your work over the last year?
Bojorquez: I have been aware of the new Calligraffiti art movement in Europe for a few years. I am surprised and pleased how graffiti style calligraphy has taken off on it’s own and highlighting many ‘letter’ artists there are around the world. Fine art calligraphy has made it’s own place within the graffiti art market and I’m respected as one of it’s elders bring my own history and style to the group. I enjoy the many artist painting letters, it keeps me fresh and competitive.
1x: What are some strides you feel you’ve made in your work recently?
Bojorquez: My letters are beginning to speak to me. Before I would dictate to the painting, now I let the painting tell me what style and voice it wants to speak in, “The Painting Has Become The Teacher.”
1x: What was the last piece of art that you bought?
Bojorquez: I buy very few pieces of art, since I personally know many of the artists I ‘trade’ my own artwork to build my collection, no one has ever refused me.
1x: Do you have any big shows or events coming up that you’d like to share?
Bojorquez: There’s a couple of huge ‘top secret’ shows coming to L.A. and I have a few exhibition travels lined up, but nothing I can reveal.
1xRUN: Where else can people find you?
Chaz Bojorquez: Instagram @chaz_bojorquez – Facebook @ChazBojorquez
-1xRUN