We were lucky to catch up with Brian Bustos recently and have shared our conversation below.
Brian , appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
The first time i realized that I wanted to be a visual artist was after being caught doing graffiti by the cops and going to jail. I worked at a sign shop and my boss said that I could take any materials home that I wanted, as long as I stopped “f**king peoples stuff up.” I had never really drawn, or painted, seriously. So I took a year or so and started painting on scraps of wood from the sign shop. Eventually the walls of my room were becoming cluttered with paintings (50 to 100) and this led to my first group exhibition, then a solo exhibition, and then it took flight. It’s all I thought about. Like Chuck Close said, you don’t just wait around for inspiration, you just get to work. So I mostly do something related to pictures every single day.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I got into painting and making art because it is a solo activity. I dont likecomprimisibg my artistic vision. I like being alone with the paintings and the drawings. I use it as some sort of therapy, I guess. I’d say a drawing is a direct line from my brain, to my heart, to my hand. It helps me sort things out. I’m mostly doing it strictly for me.
I consider my self a painter, a punk rocker, and a surfer. These are the things that I identify as, and they are generally showed in my work. Everything comes within that triangle of thought.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I used to sell paintings on the street in Brooklyn for a couple of years. I loaded them on and off the subway (the G and the L) in a laundry cart, up and down the stairs, 5 days a week. Summer and Winter. It was brutal sometimes. Sitting there and believing that eventually something would happen from it. And when I did sell some paintings, then I had to go home and make more that night. It was a super tough life for a couple of years. I never gave up. It’s pretty much the same now, except there are no physical stairs to go up and down, just mental ones.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
Do whatever you want. Screw what people think.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://brianbustos.weebly.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jungle_grundle
Image Credits
Brian Bustos credits