OCArtblog speaks to Incubus frontman and artist Brandon Boyd

13 Apr OCArtblog speaks to Incubus frontman and artist Brandon Boyd

Brandon Boyd at the Hurley )( Space gallery, Costa Mesa (photo credits to Derek Bahn @ Hurley)

As promised, Brandon Boyd was kind enough to give the OC Art Blog the low-down on some of his artistic influences and the scoop on the artwork up at the )( Space gallery.  You can still check out the massive mural and pick-up some earth friendly swag until May 13th.

OC: Most people know you as a musician and perhaps even ‘surfer’, so how long have you been a visual artist?

BB: I’ve been drawing for as long I can remember. My Mom still has weird little drawings I did for her when I was a babe. Dragons, gnomes, castles, trees and stuff.

OC: Who are your influences, who’s work inspires you, and what kind of artwork are you most visually intrigued by?

BB:  My most conscious influences include many of the artists from the 1960’s and  70’s. Most notably Stanley Mouse and Rick Griffin . They’re highly graphic and illustrative styles were very influential to me as a teenager. Over the past ten years and I have been continually enthralled by Aubrey Beardsley and some of his turn of the century contemporaries.

English artist and writer Aubrey Beardsley

OC: In the artwork that is up at the Hurely )( Space gallery, made in collaboration with the HOPE charity, I noticed that there are two works with text that say “We are an island.”  Can you speak to this idea?

BB: Sure! I believe it was R. Buckminster Fuller who coined the phrase, or the original permutation thereof. I have enjoyed many of his ideas, theories an musings over the years. “There is no “away” to throw things on Spaceship Earth…” he famously said. His works as well as many other invaluable intellects have over the years helped me come to an understanding of our vast interconnectedness on Earth and in the Universe. There really is no true separation in life, only the illusion thereof. Earth, being one small piece in that web is the only habitable place we as humans know of as yet and I believe that the more we view this unique little blip on the radar as an island in a seemingly infinite sea, the more we might value and respect it. If we truly assimilated this kind of understanding, it would be impossible for us, on ethical and moral levels, to knowingly poison and pillage our natural resources. It would be sort of like watching the most beautiful woman in the world look at herself in the mirror and say, “What a beautiful face! Gosh, I’m lucky.” then punch herself in the nose real hard. Which is essentially what we are doing.

OC: Is there an intentional reference to the religious narrative of Jonah & the Whale in this new body of work? (something a number of gallery goers were discussing at the opening)

BB: Referencing, yes. Religious narrative, no. This story is older than the Judeo-Christian version. But feel free to view it however you please.

Brandon Boyd drawing on paper

OC: How do you define art?

BB: I try to not define art. I’ve decided to leave that to others. Though I’ve admired some recent observations. Tom Robbins said it well, “…art… The emancipating jounce of inspired uselessness.”

That’s it. And to that special OC Art Blog fan who asked about his favorite flavor of ice cream, we are working on that now so hang in there.

A little note from the gallery:

Boyd’s Hurley t-shirt and water bottle collection are now available at specialty retailers and Hurley.com. Starting on Monday, April 25^th the limited edition collection will be sold at Buckle retailers nationwide. The exhibit at )( Space Gallery is free and open to the public weekdays from 8:00am – 5:00pm ending Friday, May 13^th.

For more information please visit:

https://shop.hurley.com/department/brandon-boyd-10142.cfm

Hope you see you all there.

– Joanna Grasso, Contributing Trouble Maker