Brian M. Viveros alongside 'Samur-Rising' - his largest painting to date.
An interview with Brian M. Viveros
Thinkspace is pleased to present the debut Los Angeles solo exhibition from Riverside, California based artist Brian M. Viveros. The Dirtyland will feature a series of new oil paintings on wood alongside a series of mixed media works on paper and a small edition of hand-touched unique screen prints on wood. The exhibition will also showcase a mixed-media installation featuring a new short film directed by the artist alongside sculptural works created in collaboration with artist Gustavo Ponce.
'Dirtyland 4 Life' in Viveros' Riverside studio
Artist bio:
Celebrated fetish artist Brian M. Viveros is internationally embraced for his erotic paintings of doe-eyed beauties with Marlboros dangling seductively from their lips and has also recently been utilizing the medium of film to capture the dark and evocative debris that radiates from his mind. His paintings are a drunken mix of oil, airbrush, acrylic, and ink. In his work Viveros shines a light on his own inner world and society at large and aims to captivate even the most jaded eyes.
Viveros’ recognition accelerated with his participation in ‘The Art of Porn’ exhibition held in Switzerland (1997), where he exhibited alongside H.R. Giger. Since then Viveros’ work has been exhibited extensively in North America and Europe in numerous gallery shows and at Aqua Art Miami (2009) and GenArt’s Vanguard Fair (2008). His work has also been featured in numerous books including Les Barany’s ‘Carnivora: The Dark Art Of Automobiles’, Harry Saylor and Carolyn Frisch’s ‘Edgy Cute: From Neo-Pop to Low Brow and Back Again‘, Matt Jordan’s ‘Weirdo Noir‘, and Erotic Signature’s ‘The World’s Greatest Erotic Art of Today – Vol. 1 and Vol. II’.
His work has also been featured in the pages of Juxtapoz (no. 118), Secret Magazine, In the Flesh, Skin Two, Drawing Blood, Darks Art, Joia Magazine, Tattoo Extreme, XFUNS Magazine, Let’s Motive, Truce, Digital Temple, Riviera Magazine, Uce Magazine, Ego Magazine, Real Detroit Weekly, .ISM Quarterly, Tattoo Society, Dark Art’s Parlour Magazine, Revolution Art, Iniciativa Colectiva, Fetish Magazine, and was also recently featured on the TV show ‘LA Ink’ (where artist Nikko Hurtado tattooed one of Viveros’ paintings onto a client).
Viveros made his directing debut in 2005 with his quietly eerie, boldly stylized short film Dislandia, a psycho-drama revolving around a young girl who exists in a desolate world full of dreamlike images that range from bizarre to symbolic and erotic. Southern, his latest surreal film, returns cinema to the unclean. Southern is an experience of primordial sights, sounds, and sentiment, blanketed by a fog of troubling eroticism and violence. Viveros was also recently featured on the Sundance Channel’s ‘Pleasure for Sale’ where they featured a behind the scenes look at the artist and the dislandic crew that helped him to create his film Southern .
Please talk a lil’ bit about your new series making up ‘The Dirtyland’.
Dirty, very dirty my friend. Just kiddin’, the series is a mad, mad world of New Smoking troops showing off there new helmets, new smokes, battle scars… total no holds barred. The Smoking Arm-Me of power will be marching there way into Thinkspace on October 2nd so go get your best helmet and come out to the Dirtyland. The exhibition will feature my largest painting to date ‘Samur-Rising’.
Viveros at work on 'Scorpio Rising' - one of his largest works to date
You’re also shooting a new short film to premiere at the opening of ‘The Dirtyland’ – can you a share a bit of the concept behind this new short?
In our traditional dislandic-southernesk approach to filming, me and Mr. Eriijk Ressler will be putting together a little four to five minute surreal loop that will be played somewhere hidden inside of the Thinkspace Gallery. Shhhhh come find me. A fun little loop-dee-loop-dee-loop for the whole Dirtyland family to enjoy. That’s about all I can say really because we never know how things are going to unfold when we film. Lets just say there will be a helmet involved and some smokin’ hahaha.
A look inside Viveros' Riverside studio as the works for 'The Dirtyland' come to life (notice the life sized 'Dirty Trooper' hiding in the back)
Your friend Gustavo Ponce collaborated with you on the sculptural works that will be included in ‘The Dirtyland’ as well as the must-see installation. Can you tell us a lil’ bit about how this collaboration came about?
After I had the title in mind for the exhibition there were these ideas that we’d talked about and discussed in the past. If I ever I did have a Dirtyland show we should do this or could we do this. Always thinking ahead and trying to push the envelope. I had the idea sketched out in my head for sometime. After talking it over with Gustavo, who’s worked with me on past films and is just an amazing sculptor, he assured me and said “Yeah, I can rock this homie” and let’s just say he fukin’ killed it. So for all you coming out to the exhibition you are in for a really dirty treat. Hats off to my close friend and homie Mr. Gustavo Ponce for bringing the Dirtyland to life. IT’S ALIVE, ALIVE!! You can check out more of Gustavo Ponce’s work at: www.gustavoponce.com
A sneaky blurry look at the 'Dirty Troopers' sculpted by Gustavo Ponce in collaboration with Viveros for 'The Dirtyland' - trust me, this installation has to be seen in person!!!
Please tell us what helmets mean to you / what they represent in your work?
To me, the helmets represent STRENGTH. When you wear a helmet you feel strong, you feel protected, like you’re ready to go into battle and take mutha-fuckas out.
Close-up view of 'All I See Is Red' - one of Viveros' largest paintings to date
At what moment did you realize you wanted to be a full-time artist?
Early on as a child I was always into art. I was always into anything different and constantly being creative, I started making my own splatter films at age twelve and drawing since I could hold a pencil. I saw a lot as a kid and I still use a lot of these elements to help decorate my Arm-me of Smoking gals.
What do you consider to be your biggest overall influence?
I’m inspired by so many things… music, movies, people, words, my dogs, my skulls, smoke, everything man, just everything.
What have you got coming up in terms of shows after your show with us?
I will be showing at Paul Booth’s Last Rites Gallery in NYC next year and would like to thank all of you Sour Harvest readers out there. See you this October! Cheerzzz!
The FREE POSTER that will be given out to the 1st 200 people through the door on Sat, Oct. 2nd - the opening night of 'The Dirtyland' - Viveros will be hand-signing each poster in gold ink too!
Brian M. Viveros ‘The Dirtyland’
Opening Reception: Sat, October 2nd 7-10PM with the artist in attendance
*Free autographed poster to the 1st 200 through the door this weekend + the Komodo Food Truck will be on-site all night serving up the goods
PLEASE NOTE: The digital preview for ‘The Dirtyland’ will go out tomorrow morning on Fri, Sept. 24th. Please be sure you are on our mailing list to receive the digital preview.
thinkspace
6009 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232
Phone: 310.558.3375
Web: www.thinkspacegallery.com
Hours: Wednesday thru Saturday 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. (or by appointment)
