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Spraygraphic Interview with Artist Jim Mahfood
By Spraygraphic | December 2, 2009
Spraygraphic Interview with Jim Mahfood
SG: Please tell us about yourself?
JM: My name’s Jim aka Food One…I just totally rock out and listen to loud music all day and I draw and I paint and people pay me for it. It’s a pretty good life. I work freelance. I’ve been at it since ‘97. I make comix, I do illustration and advertising art, I do live art in clubs and stuff, I body paint on hot, lovely ladies, I do gallery work, I paint murals, whatever. I like to try new things, I’m always working on something. I created my own brand of art called Visual Funk. It’s my style; it’s a mix of comix-style art, graffiti, funk and hip hop culture, James Brown, anime, neo-expressionism, and a bunch of other shit thrown into a pop culture blender and what comes out of my hand and onto the paper is the funk that you get. I try and be unique and stand out. I’m having alot of fun.
SG: Where do you currently live and work?
JM: I live in LA. I work everywhere… I travel around alot, doing gallery shows, live art, painting murals, doing signings at comic shops and book stores, doing comic book shows. I like to cause alcohol-fueled mayhem and destruction through art-making around the globe. I just got back from a 10-day trip totally crushing shit over in France. Photos at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/44833702@N05/
SG: What mediums do you work with?
JM: Anything and everything. I’ll rock a no.2 pencil on paper if I have to. I do a lot of pen and ink work. For the murals and gallery stuff I
definitely use paint: spray paint, acrylics, oil, watercolor, whatever the situation calls for. Oil sticks, big fat drippy graf markers, that’s my favorite shit.
SG: Describe your working process when creating a new work.
JM: I turn on super-loud music and just totally go for it. I try not to think too much or pre-plan stuff. I like the fearlessness of being spontaneous and just attacking the paper or canvas or wall, whatever I’m working on. I try and have an image in my head first and then I quickly try and get it out and rock shit as hard as I can. I like the act of art-making to be both a creative and destructive process at the same time.
SG: What kind of things do you do when you get blocked or find it hard to create something?
JM: Sometimes I will slam a beer or drink a little scotch or smoke something cosmic or change the record I’m listening to…usually if I put on some James Brown or Bad Brains or Sun Ra or something I will instantly feel better and just cut loose. Sometimes I will go for a walk or maybe look at some porn or take a quick apple juice break or something. Maybe eat a cookie. If I’m in a club I will yell at the DJ to play something that doesn’t suck. Haha….DJs hate when I do that by the way…. I would not recommend that….
SG: Where has your work been seen?
JM: All over the globe, baby.
SG: Where will it be seen next?
JM: Oh, here and there. World domination is within my grasp, I can feel it. You can always get updates at: http://www.foodoneart.blogspot.com
I’m working on an animated pilot of my own cartoon for Disney right now, so hopefully the next time you see my stuff it will be on your TV.
SG: Can you tell us a little about your Girl Scouts series?
JM: Yea, it was called Girl Scouts back when I was in art school self-publishing the book. That was around ‘95 or so. Then the Girl Scouts of America saw it and they threatened to sue me so I changed the spelling to Grrl Scouts. I did a 4-issue comic book mini-series through Oni Press in ‘98-99 with them, and then a follow up series called “Work Sucks” with Image Comics in 2003. I’ve been planning out a new series with them, it’s in the works, I’m hoping to get to it sooner than later. I really like the characters alot. They’re hot girls that sell weed and cuss alot and fuck people up. What’s not to love? They’ve developed a nice little cult following.
SG: What was it like to do Spiderman for the first time? And how has that emotion changed over time?
JM: Spidey, man, that was a dream come true. He’s my childhood hero, the reason I got into comic books and all that shit in the first place. It felt like everything had come full-circle in my life when I was hired to draw him. Really rewarding. I’m still pumped about it. I actually just scored a new gig doing some brand-new Spidey comics stuff for Marvel, so I get to play in that universe again, and I’m really excited about it.
SG: Where are you currently finding your inspiration?
JM: Oh, just all around me, ya know? Life is so fucking weird and exciting! There’s always some new stuff going on, new people that I’m around, new art, new music, new places to travel. Inspiration is really easy for me; you just have to keep your mind open and things will happen. “Free your mind and your ass will follow” as Funkadelic once said. True that.
SG: What is your dream art assignment?
JM: I just want some rich family in Paris to adopt me and I can have my own flat and my own studio, hang out all day, drink espresso, flirt with hot French girls, and paint and draw. It’s going to happen in the next five years. I can feel it. I’ve already started laying the groundwork.
SG: What is your favorite color?
JM: Funk.
SG: Who is your favorite artist? And Why?
JM: Picasso? He was a bit of an asshole but he was such a badass that he would just pay for his meals and shit with drawings, he never stopped producing art, he never fell off, he was a short little weird dude and he got to fuck the hottest girls in the world. He never had to compromise. He never had to take any bullshit from anyone. He created his own styles and ways of making art and didn’t give a damn what anyone thought. I mean, what else do you want? But, wait, actually, now that I think about it, my favorite artist of all-time is James Brown, no doubt. He created the funk, and that’s the code and lifestyle I live by. Funk is not just a style of music; it’s an attitude, a way of living, the way you see yourself in this world. It’s like a religion in a way. Funk is the way you carry yourself, the way you act and speak and dance and fuck and party and make art. It’s the way I approach my creative process, ya know? I want my stuff to have the qualities of funk: to be raw, dirty, refined, loose and tight at the same time, sexy, fun, deadly, fierce. That’s the Visual Funk. James Brown created all that. He’s the most important artist of the 20th century, no joke.
SG: What book/magazine are you reading this week?
JM: I subscribe to Juxtapoz. I always enjoy that rag. I’ve been re-reading my old Bloom County comic strip collections. That was the illest newspaper strip of all time! I love it. Berke Breathed is a hero of mine. He was a true comics pioneer. Genius. I always surround myself with lots of art books and photo books and magazines and stuff. Oh, and Waxpoetics! I have that, too. Love that mag! Total music-nerd-type-shit.
SG: Ever do a self portrait? Where is it now?
JM: Yea, I do a weekly self-portrait in comic strip form and put it on my blog for free. It’s called Los Angeles Ink Stains and it’s about my weird life and drunken adventures with my friends in LA. All my close friends are cast members in it. It’s fun as hell to do. I started it on the first of the year and it’s gained quite a nice following. You can check them out at:http://www.foodoneart.blogspot.com
SG: Where is your favorite place to hang out?
JM: My studio? Seriously, it’s got everything I need…my art supplies and tools, my stereo, record player, good music, books and magazines, etc. I am quite content just staying in there all day. When I venture out I like to hit my local dive bar, the Coach & Horses. That’s on Sunset Blvd. I usually force my friends to meet me there. They have an amazing jukebox. I like to hang out at El Campadre and various mexican spots around the city, wherever there’s good tacos. I like to hang out at Bell Sound. It’s this famous old recording studio in Hollywood and my friend Jane Dope works there and everyone there is chill and they sometimes feed me and Jane makes these delicious coffee-treat drinks. I’ll take a break and cruise through there sometimes. I like to hang out in Paris. I just got back from there. Love that town.
Additional Links
http://jimmahfood-foodone.deviantart.com
Topics: Artist Interviews, California Art Scene, Film-Video, Paintings, Pencil Drawings, Phoenix-events, Toys and Comics |
December 6th, 2009 at 11:34 am
Seriously, Jim is one of the great artist of our era. This dude is the Godfather of LIVE ART! The greenroom and Bombshelter DJs days!! This dude is on the grind like no body’s biz!! An absolute art great!!! Hat’s off to you Jim!! Brand New Cadillac at ya!
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