Artist Interview: Ryan Callis

02 Sep Artist Interview: Ryan Callis

This Saturday night at 205 N. Broadway in Santa Ana, longtime painter and OC resident Ryan Callis will open a show of new paintings. Oh No, I Seem Very Happy!!!” opens from 6-9 Saturday Sept 3rd, and will consist of new paintings, 100 posters for sale, and an accompanying zine for the first 50+ people in attendance. The OC Art Blog caught up with Ryan to ask a few questions about the show and his work. Enjoy!

Can you start by telling us about your connection to the OC/Long Beach art scene?

Ryan: I’ve been living in Seal Beach/Long Beach for the last 20+ years so therein lies my connection to the region.  I was born here, went to art school and grad school here, and have worked at every museum and every type of art job in the greater Los Angeles/OC area. I love this place. It’s in my blood.

Can you share your intentions in the new show, and who is Mr. Peanut Butter?

Ryan: The new show is of paintings from the last few years that I have yet to have show in public.  They span a few bodies of work I’ve been making. The title comes from a character, Mr. Peanutbutter from the show Bojack Horseman.  The character is happy go lucky to the point of annoyance and the line comes when another character tells him that happy people are usually hiding something horrible.  I make work that I hope will bring joy and beauty to the world but for sure lurking behind joyfulness in our current age is the shit show that is contemporary America.  But I’m still going to try to make eyeballs and brains happy.

You are invested in the history and conversation around painting. What are your thoughts about the state of painting now?

Ryan: ’m a painting nerd, I love it so much.  But I would hesitate to comment on the contemporary state of painting because in the day and age of billions of people on earth and social media, who knows the state of anything.  People are making every kind of paining you could possibly think of.  And some of it is even pretty good. But I have to stay focused on my own practice.  It’s all too much.

You are doing a Zine for this show. Could you say more about that?

Ryan: The zine I’m making is a combo of trying to make cool printed matter to remember the show by and try and explain the show a little.  I like to try and bring people around my campfire, just enough of a good story to get more conversations going….

What do you read, listen to, or look at to fuel your work and find inspiration?

Ryan: Music and art books are a HUGE part of my practice.  I read a lot too, but art books and music play the biggest part for inspiration. I call it “filling the well”.  I have a huge collection of art books, magazines, surf mags, etc. and as far as music, whoa man, I listen to it all.  Anything that is creative and gets me moving from salsa to jazz to hip hop to punk rock, there is so much in my collection that I go back to.  But if you need one, jazz. It’s the constant. So much flowing creativity and mastery at play. And fucking Beethoven, actually most classical piano, whoa!!

What new projects do you have planned and where can we find your work?

Ryan: As for new projects, I’m working on new work always.  There is always a new pictorial problem to solve.  I just wanna make amazing paintings and drawings.  My work is always @ryancallisart on Instagram and my site is www.ryancallisart.com.

Thanks Ryan. Have a great show!