Your cart is currently empty!
Frequently Asked Questions
I enjoy sharing my work and thoughts with schools and students. However, I am often busy trying to meet deadlines. If you contact me, I will respond to your inquiry, but please note that it might not be timely. Reviewing the contents of this page may provide many of the answers you seek. If you are working on a school report, you have my permission to use any information listed on this website. -Abel Alejandre
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
[Full biography]
The first seven years of my life were spent in a remote, rural region known as Tierra Caliente in Michoacan State, Mexico. I recall no running water or electricity. Our immediate and extended family lived in Apatzingan, the nearest town. It was from there that my family and I emigrated to Los Angeles in 1975. In many ways, it was like traveling from the nineteenth to the twentieth century, given the rudimentary conditions we were accustomed to. This experience – of leaving one land for another, having to constantly redefine what it means to be a human being, a man, a part of a community – is a constant and central theme in my work. [Read more…]
ARTIST RESUME
[Full resume]
Abel Alejandre is a U.S.-based artist, best known for his explorations of masculinity and drawings. He recently completed an Artist in Residence at Fullerton.
PRESS
[Full list of press]
Los Angeles Times
REVIEW The truth is out there. Or is it? Conspiracies and secrets in the art of Abel Alejandre
Los Angeles Magazine
Metro Artist Abel Alejandre Draws Fallen Superheroes
LOS ANGELES CONFIDENTIAL
‘Frank LA’ Examines Homelessness & Other Issues Through Art
Hyperallergic Magazine
Searching for an Idea at Pulse Art Fair
ART MATERIALS AND TOOLS
[Full list of preferred materials and tools]
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Who were your mentors?
Two men were pivotal to my development as an artist: my uncle Guillermo and Joe Bravo. My uncle, acting as the big brother I never had, encouraged me throughout my life. Growing up, there was a large mural by the Chicano artist Joe Bravo at Will Hall Park in Wilmington, California. For six years, I sat in the shadow of that mural; I did my homework, read, and drew. Much later, as an adult, I met him and expressed my gratitude.
Why do you have so many roosters in your work?
I often use the rooster as a metaphor and symbol for manhood, valor, machismo, and patriarchy. As I interpret this beautiful, regal (though common) creature, its goal is to convince an opponent of its wisdom and prescience. However, it is a fierce animal, possessing the primal instinct to fight until its enemy is defeated. Similarly, some men embody this quality, this sense of cunning, this unique nature, making them ideal subjects of inquiry. At this stage, I’ve found no definitive answers and seek only to record and interpret a lifetime of observation.
Who are your influences?
In my formative years, many artists influenced and inspired me, including Albrecht Dürer, Lucian Freud, Francisco Goya, and Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. Now, I am interested in the narratives of the discarded, unimportant moments that shape our culture. Any moment in time has countless points of view through which it can be retold. I feel that when we talk about these throw-away moments, they are not black and white but have many shades of grey. These shades of grey are what I am compelled to draw and paint.
What do you hope to inspire in those who view your work?
I don’t consciously intend to inspire but rather to share my perspective. Often, the work surprises and informs me as much as the viewer. Once the work is released into the world, it takes its own path. They are my ambassadors, so to speak.
What was your first job?
The first job I ever had was picking cotton in Michoacan, Mexico, at four years old. I had to support my mother, younger brother, and sister. This taught me an important life lesson: “Don’t wait for a savior; you have to hustle to succeed.”
Do you have a favorite piece/series, if so why?
To be brutally honest, I have contempt for most of my work once it is complete. I do not believe in the preciousness of the work; it hinders moving the work forward.
Besides murals, what is the largest artwork you have done?
The largest work I’ve done outside of murals is a triptych painting twelve feet wide and eight feet tall. It was part of a live performance. The second largest work I’ve done is a woodblock print eight feet wide and four feet tall.
What are your plans/hopes for your future in the art world?
The only plans I have are to keep creating work.
How did you get started in your career?
As a teenager, I was a paid muralist assistant through the Long Beach Summer Olympics Youth Mural Project. Then I started painting my own murals during the same program.
What advice would you give aspiring artists?
Be productive, honest, and kind. There is no substitute for hard work. As a teenager, I never imagined that I would paint and draw with such precision. It turns out that when I really put in the time, my work improved tremendously. Also, be aware that the art world is small and everybody talks. It doesn’t matter if we are talking about other artists, galleries, institutions, or the press.
How did you start your artistic path?
In first grade, I had an easel my size prepared with newsprint paper and plastic cups filled with tempera paint. I painted a house with smoke coming out of its chimney. From that moment forward, I had a vehicle to express myself. Before that moment, art was not even something that existed in my world.
What was the trigger to take the leap to be a Professional Artist?
I’ve always produced work that made me feel like a “True Artist.” I never seemed to have enough time to give my work the dedication it deserved. I still went ahead and remained productive and sold work. However, it was not until 2008 that my life options were limited to sustaining myself financially. Being a full-time artist was all I had left.
Where did you attend school?
Although I would have greatly benefited from a BFA or MFA, I have an Associate’s Degree from Long Beach City College. I have also completed coursework at several schools: Art Center of Design, Cerritos College, Goldenwest College, and Orange Coast College. Much of what I do now is self-taught.
What skills have you learned in the art world?
It was a trial by fire, as the saying goes. Project coordination, like curation or film documentation, cannot be done without some level of competence and leadership. Being organized, thorough, and meeting multiple deadlines not just for yourself but for those you work with is, without a doubt, crucial. While every artist’s career is a unique journey, developing good leadership skills in the creative world has opened many doors for me in and out of the art world.
As an artist which direction are you moving forward?
I don’t move the work forward; it is more like I’m along for the ride, if that makes sense. The past leads to the future. I trace the threads in my work as far back as I can and follow them. The soul of any artist’s work lives in its most genuine and honest expression. My direction is towards honesty and hiding nothing from my work.
Which art mediums will you continue to use or aspire to use in the future?
My mediums are drawing, painting, and printmaking. I’ve wanted to go back to painting for many years, but I still draw and print. I can’t really say. There are many narratives, and the medium is just a tool.
Can you define your mark?
‘The mark’ is more significant than a fingerprint or signature. It is one of the building blocks of the artist’s DNA. It must be laid down with purpose and a commitment to its surface. It doesn’t matter if the mark is smudged, dragged, pushed, or erased and redrawn over and over. If that is how your work is composed, so be it. My marks are calculated and must fuse with the selected surface. I think of it as a tattoo that impregnates the surface, and if you try to remove it, it will fight. It will be present as a reminder that I once committed to its permanence.
Is there a story you would be willing to share regarding success or failure as an artist?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is that this is a business of relationships and handshakes. Rarely are there contracts to which you can hold people accountable. I once agreed to do an exhibition with someone I never heard of and nobody seemed to know. Only two people showed up to the opening, and one of them was looking for a restroom. I now need references for any new show. If I don’t know the venue or the curators, I check around before agreeing to any new exhibitions. This is done with as much tact as possible, of course.
What kind of success are you looking to achieve as an artist?
At this point in my career, it feels ridiculous to define success. Success is a goalpost that continues to move as my career advances and I get older. When I was young, all I wanted was for my work to hang in a “real” gallery. Later, I wanted to have my work in any museum. I should be looking for validation from my peers, art publications, and museums, and to be included in notable collections. As a mid-career artist, my primary goal and mark of success is creating the best work of my life.
How old were you when you made your first art sale?
As early as sixth grade, I started getting paid to do commissions for a dollar for some of my classmates and kids in my neighborhood. I don’t actually remember the very first sale, but I remember, at 15, my first big sale, by my standards. It was an airbrush painting of a band called Twisted Sister, and it was for $60!
What obstacles did you have to overcome or maybe fighting still today?
The biggest obstacle is time. There is never enough time to produce.
Do you have a studio work ethic or principles you live by?
- Whatever you do, if it doesn’t push the work forward, stop doing it.
- You only compete with yourself; don’t worry about anybody else.
- Fight distractions; they will always steal your productivity.
If you could have done something differently what would it be?
I would produce more consistently and avoid showing with galleries that didn’t advance my career.
What is your rudder? What drives you to continue to create?
Life experiences and ordinary engagement with the world around me provide a steady diet of rich content for my work. Content combined with opportunity and time is what I need to keep going.
Is there a meditative quality or a sort of release when creating your work?
My technique is tightly controlled, and while fully engaged in the act of it, a calmness and relief come over me. All is right with the world, and I am complete. I can lose myself in the intricacies and am intoxicated by the line. I see myself as a shaman who can stop and slow time down. When the creation stops, I leap forward to the present, and my catharsis vanishes. I imagine it is the same for everyone, or perhaps I am odd.
What should I know about your work besides the obvious?
My work can obviously be viewed by its technical merits: yes, I can draw. My particular technique is part of an art history tradition and conversation. There are several other ways to observe my work more closely. There is a visual vocabulary in which I repeat certain metaphors as a way of compacting and layering narratives. As with many artists, portions of my work are autobiographical. In particular, I like to explore the inner world of masculinity. I’ve spent most of my life searching for the universality of manhood through the lives of those who surround me and who live by old codes of conduct. In several of my works, the rooster is the stand-in metaphor for manhood, valor, machismo, and patriarchy.
What is your typical process for an important body of work or project?
My process can be as simple as sitting down and beginning to make marks or more elaborate. In the case of the work for my Metro Station, I created my drawing series by first doing extensive research into the history of West Los Angeles, where my metro station is located. The research included talking to residents of the neighborhood, and reading articles, books, and statistics published by the government. I then made several studies of the subject and composition before committing to the final work. On average, I spent fifteen hours a day for three months to complete my artwork.
What brand of pencil is your favorite or recommend above all others?
For me, Staedtler Mars Lumograph wood pencils are absolutely the highest quality pencils on the market. I find them to be the most consistent in construction, durability, and most importantly, in mark making. I will be hard-pressed should they stop making them.
Why do you have so many pencils? And how many do you actually have?
The life of an artist has several uncertainties, and such unpredictabilities drive me mad. I bring order and regularity to my studio life by overstocking my materials. At the moment, I have probably a few over 250 pencils, which is low by my standards. I suspect that if I had to go through all my stashes throughout the studio, home, office, car, and art supply toolbox, it would be more like 500. Considering that I could easily use that many on just one drawing, it makes me nervous to have so few. I am like an alcoholic who will save, hide, and squirrel away bottles/pencils in every corner of his life.