Artist Member Interview: Erik Alos

by Sid Bailey

Imagine if Warner Bros. decided to make a movie about Salvador Dali, hired Ed Wood to direct, and then stuffed the cast with maniacal cartoon villains and quirky femmes fatales, and you might begin to get an idea of the paintings of Erik Alos. The Los Angeles-based former graffiti artist agreed to answer a few questions about his life and work, featured below.

"Allegory of chaos" - 2009 - 18x24 - acrylic on board

Can you tell me a bit about your background? Do you have any specific anecdotes that led to your decision to become an artist?

Well, I'm from Los Angeles; it's where I've lived most of my life. Drawing is something I always remember doing as a kid. In my teens I started painting with spray paint and focused mainly on graffiti art for over ten years. It was two of my friends in my old graffiti crew, who had already been involved with galleries, who got me into my first exhibitions.

 Can you give me some specific examples of cartoons or pop culture elements that have gone into your pieces?

The Blockheads are great,you know the villains from Gumby. That show was definitely surreal. I liked the Walter Lantz toons...Woody and Chilly Willy were awesome. I've painted some of the garbage pail kids too; those were so rad when I was a kid.

"Land of South" - 2011 - 18x24 - acrylic on board

Do you feel your work also provides a commentary on pop culture, at the same time that it is inspired by it?

I think my work provides my personal view of pop culture, if anything. It's like taking something that everyone is familiar with and reworking it with your own style. Besides, bringing a favorite cartoon character to life by rendering it in paint realistically is always fun. Pop culture definitely inspires some of my work, along with other inspirations, such as the human figure, plants, animals, and other natural and man made elements we interact [with] here on earth. References to Los Angeles are made in my work all the time, as well.

Can you take me through your artistic process for how you approach a new piece? What generally sparks your ideas for a new work?

Well, I have a model sit for me if there is a figure in the piece. I collect references on anything else I may want to paint. Then I do some study drawings on paper. After that, I prepare a wood panel with gesso and begin. Most of the time ideas will just pop into my head. Other times, an idea can be sparked by reading a book, other art, music, etc... It's hard to say exactly how I think of what to paint, I'm not completely sure myself.

How do people generally react to your pieces?

It depends on how fast I throw it at them.

What steps do you take to promote your work? Which do you find works best?

Right now I have the website, a Facebook page, and I'm a member of a great surreal artists collective called BeinArt Collective and I have a profile on their site. Sooner or later I will start up a blog too. I do find that gallery exhibitions promote my work the best. 

"The sun of god" - 2011 - 11x14 - acrylic and gold leaf on board

Do you have any advice for other artists?

Eat organic whenever possible.

Do you have any upcoming exhibitions in the works?

In December, I am part of a group exhibition entitled "Black Christmas" at Copro Gallery in Santa Monica, California. I have some other group shows planned for 2012 that I will be posting on my website.