Thinkspace is excited to present their sophomore show with artist TRNZ ‘The Weight of Things.’ A few years ago, TRNZ developed a fascination with using mundane things and figures, arranged to loom over his work, presenting an awkward mystery. The artist from the Philippines uses ‘The Weight of Things’ to navigate the same process with an exceedingly charged relationship between the figures and the objects surrounding them. Taking cues and motifs from his own memories and experiences, he assembles visual imagery in uncanny ways.
Our interview with TRNZ reveals how he taps into his creative flow, who his creative influences are, and about his fantasy dinner party and guest list.
What themes were you exploring in this body of work? Did you have a piece that was particularly challenging?
A few years ago, I developed a fascination with using mundane things and figures misarranged to loom an awkward mystery over my work.
For this solo exhibition, I carried on the same theme but pushed further the charged relationship between my figures and the objects around them.
What does a day in the studio look like for you? How do you structure your days?
A day in my studio completely mirrors my work. There’s nothing special when you really look at it on the surface. There’s a cup of coffee, music/podcast in the background, and scattered paint all over. The interesting ideas come up during the lulls, when I remember certain objects, and places from old and try to incorporate them into my work.
Do you have any rituals that help you tap into a creative flow?
I just do a lot of biking around the city and recently, I’ve been into Magic the Gathering.
What is your most favorite and least favorite part of the creative process?
My favorite part is thinking of the ideas. The least would be cramming, because I feel like I am stifled when I work so closely towards a deadline. That’s why as much as possible, I really try to work ahead of time.
Who are some of your creative influences? Why do they inspire you?
Recently, I was able to purchase from a book thrift shop a copy of “The New Yorker, 15th Anniversary Cartoon Collection.” It was so inspiring to read it because it was overloaded with wit and irony. It was the right flavor I needed to splash over my art.
If you could have any skill or topic downloaded into your brain, what would you want to be able to do/be an expert at?
Totally unrelated to art but this has been a frustration since I was a kid. I really wanted to be good at street magic. Haha.
What do you hope viewers take away or experience while viewing your work?
Anything really. I’d like to think that my work can be interpreted in a variety of ways just because most of the time, it doesn’t really make sense. As long as I don’t get indifference, I feel like I accomplished what I wanted to accomplish.
If you could collaborate with any artists in any sort of medium (i.e. movies, music, painting) who would you collaborate with, and what would you be making?
Collaboration is something that I’ve done and will regularly seek out to do. I did a few now with some local music artists and brands.
An animated short movie is something I’ve been itching to do though.
Who would be on the guest list if you could throw a dinner party for five people, dead or alive? What would be on the menu? What would be the icebreaker question?
Lionel Messi, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Tory Belleci, Kari Byron & Grant Imahara from Mythbusters, enjoying Filipino food on the menu.
A very random collection of people I know, but I just thought of the top 5 people I want to meet in real life.
What was in your musical rotation during the development of this body of work?
Her’s, Steve Lacy and Kid Bloom
That aethethics woul look very ad-hoc an animation maybe i could be displayed at the dinner with that philipino menu ::)