Modern Hieroglyphics: Chor Boogie

Chor

Boogie

like an artist,” she said. “So what do I do?” I asked. She replied “Paint anything you like. Paint yourself.” So I did and it was a big mash up of colors hence the colors I use today. She came back and asked how I liked it. I replied, “When I grow up I’m going to be an artist.” I was never really discouraged. I only received support from loved ones. The only discouragement is the state of the art world today. But I keep going because I love what I do, and nothing will dictate the flow of that except for me.

What kind of kid were you? Where did you grow up? What were your influences?

I was a crazy kid. A daredevil, a very adventurous type. I still am. So I live “the kid within” at times. I grew up in Oceanside and Vista near San Diego. The place has its ups and downs as does any city. My influences back then up, until I started painting with spray paint, were comic book artists like Todd Mc Farlane, Rob Liefield, and Jim Lee; skateboard culture; and 80’s culture. Then, I explored the old masters like Salvador Dali, Michelangelo, and Gustave Klimt and contemporary masters of spray paint like Phase 2 ,Vulcan, and Riff 170.

"I was never really discouraged. I only received support from loved ones."

"Street Artists" are valuable to todays art culture. Most street artists operate in the dark...literally. One that does not is Chor Boogie. He is a master artist who wields an aerosol can like Michelangleo used his chisel or Van Gogh his brushes. His works appears in museums and galleries from San Diego to Switzerland. He is an American national treasure. - editor

When did you first think about art as something you wanted to do? Were you encouraged or discouraged by family, friends, teachers, mentors?

When I was around 5 years old in Kindergarten my teacher said, “Do you want to play duck duck goose or do this activity over here…” I was interested in the activity. “So what is this activity?” I asked. “Painting

Your style is very unique. Did you work on developing a style or is that what naturally came out of you?

It was a little bit of both actually. It takes both nature and nurture in order to find out who you really are when it comes to originality, and then taking that creativity to new heights every time you create something.

You do a lot of “street art” that seems to now have gone mainstream, How did that happen?

Depends on what you consider mainstream.That actually could be a bad word within the genre. Even though I paint on the streets and on canvas, I’m even creative with my terminology when it comes to the genre of my artwork. Instead of “graffiti” or “street art,” I call it Modern Hieroglyphics, which is basically what this culture really is based off of.

"You are asking how did it go mainstream, and I’m just going to have to respond, “VERY CAREFULLY."

We create stories, symbols, and images with meaning and context on any surface. Nothing wrong with the other terminologies, but as far as my work goes, that's where I push it. You are asking how did it go mainstream, and I’m just going to have to respond, “VERY CAREFULLY, it’s like playing a game of chess on this roller coaster ride called LIFE.”

Your “love visions” murals seem beautiful and chaotic at the same time. Is that purposeful?

There is a reason for everything and everything is naturally purposeful. They are like mind-body-soul explosions with that medium.

What’s going on in your head when you work on a piece? Your fears, anticipation, confidence, etc. How do you know something is finished?

When it comes to the process of what I do, I try not to let my mind get in the way of that creative process, but rather let it be a combination of things, MIND BODY SOUL. This makes sense to me when breathing life into creating something to be real. Nothing is ever finished. It’s all a continuum dialogue with every creation, hence it is one big story in the grand scheme of creative things.

Can you explain to us about the “eyes of the street” series and what that means to you or what are you conveying to us?

eyes, and I have many styles of eyes. Eyes are the windows to the soul. It so happened that I painted them in pretty much every major city, and it soon fell into a series aspect. Every city I created these eyes in is technically the eyes of that city and that environment.

I’m curious about how you choose what to work on. What’s does your process entail? Start to finish. Can you give us a short step-by-step?

Well sometimes I just go for it to see what comes out, and then I take it from there.

Sometimes I use image references and distort them or make them fit with in my creative process. Either I use as many colors as I can, or not .

The rest is secret. A true master never gives up all his weapons in his arsenal.

The eyes of the street just happened. I love creating

What do you do to promote yourself and get work?

Social media plays a role. Media plays a role in general, but usually when I’m painting on the street that's enough promotion to get the job done. Going out networking and schmoozing is alright and helps to get involved in things, but I think I put my name out their enough to where the promotion comes to me. So it’s basically a two way street and we have to meet in the middle.

"A true master never gives up all his weapons in his arsenal."

What’s the future hold for you? Any ultimate goal?

I live for today, my friends. I’m not a psychic. I know it’s bright though... Always has been, always will be.

Your sculpture seems to be more charged with satire than your paintings. i.e. the spray nozzles for nipples and the skull covered with what looks like lacquered money, etc. does the medium influence the message with you?

It’s fun, and I always look for new avenues to create from. I make music as well and entertain the possibility of being a renaissance man like my ancestors.