www.nativlabel.com
The scene off the G train was bleak at best, it’s
After being inspired with meeting and
around 8:30 pm on a Sunday night and Wil
chatting with Wil, I decided to shoot this volume
Suarez and I are trekking to his recently
with a 12.99 disposable camera that can be
acquired artist studio in Queens. “I need to
found at any corner store. Sometimes to get to
grab some toilet paper”, he mentions as we
know and grow with a medium, you have to go
search for a bodega near the Court Square
back to it’s roots.
station. “Last time I came by the studio our
Oh and I almost forgot to mention, welcome
floor was totally out, which is never the predica-
to the second volume of CreNativ, a media
ment you want to begin a studio.”. I agree
extention of the menswear brand Nativ Label.
without hesitation as we accomplish our first
CreNativ’s goal is to showcase young and talent-
mission of the night.
ed people, moving through life at their own
The first time I met Suarez was at a entrepre-
means.
Individuals that are doing inspiring
neur event as he was taking old school polaroid
things creatively for our generation, and it is our
photos of each artist/creative at the show. Most
mission to share their story with the world. So
everyone is used to having their photo taken,
with that being said, I’m proud to present our
but a polaroid is different, it’s an experience.
interview with Wilfredo Suarez also known as
The fun had only just begun as he snapped my
Mosaic New York.
photo, waited for it to pop out, handed it over to
-Alex Nash
me, and gave me the task to “air out” the photo and wait for the chemical reaction to work it’s magic. I was thrilled. Who doesn’t like being included right? With the immense growth of technology within the past fifteen years, photography has not only become much more accessible, but much easier to create with little or no prior experience or knowledge in the medium. Instagram being the most recent and perfect example of how everyday people can snap a photo, slap on a filter, and create an notable photograph. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, and I’d rather let Wil tell it.
02
NL: Let’s begin with a brief introduction, who are
But I've never seen an actual, physical shop do
you and what do you do?
both. Both being a brick and mortar skate shop where you can come fix a bearing, get a full set up
WS: My name is Wilfredo Suarez, and I am a
or whatever it is, and also be a fully functioning art
filmmaker/photographer from New York.
gallery where you can also while you deck is being set up come check out the art, videos, or whatever
NL: You mentioned you briefly owned and operated shop in the Bronx for a number of years, could you talk a little bit about that experience?
else you might be interested in. I'm not saying that I am the first, because I saw a shop in the Bronx called Triangles. That shop was the first shop I saw mixing art and skate-
WS: Mosaic Skate Gallery was a skate shop and
boarding. They were a skate shop and also OG
art gallery in the Bronx that I ran and opened from
graffiti heads, so they spray painted their own stuff
2010 to mid 2012.
My basic thought process
and did their own deck which was super cool to me
behind that was skating and art has always gone
at the time because I had never seen a deck with
hand in hand to me. Even if you look at the
something with the Bronx on it. They had a sweet
medium of the skateboard, that's artwork that goes
ass skate deck of the 2 Train with a panoramic shot,
on those decks. I thought why not expand on that
so the whole skateboard was the 2 Train going
and make a skate shop also an art gallery venue
across it above, and the Pelham Parkway street
where we would have a space for young people to
they were on was below. So it was like their neigh-
come show their work. I made it a place accessible
borhood on the skateboard.
to people that I knew that were artists, that were
So that was something I tried to emulate
trying to showcase their work. It went pretty well
when we got the opportunity to do our skate deck
for two years and then you know the economy,
with Boulevard Skateboards where we put Yankee
financial stuff started getting funny, so I quit while
Stadium on the skateboard, which to me is not just
I was ahead.
my neighborhood, that's like the whole Bronx, that represents my entire borough. Those ended up
NL: So had you seen anything like that before in
being a huge hit and people came out just to buy
the Bronx or even the greater NYC area in general?
them for their kids, whether their kids skated or not like "My kid's a huge Yankee fan let me buy three
WS: I've seen skate shops support art shows, I've
of those" so it was really cool.
seen skate brands support artists, whether it be an artists they work with because of their company that designs the decks or shirts, I've seen people support art.
03
NL: When did you being dabbling into photogra-
Because I started skating so much I started buying
phy/film and what's your favorite aspect about the
video tapes to watch, and then I just got way more
medium?
intrigued into who the hell was filming that. That just started interesting me more than the tricks.
WS: I started taking photos really early on. When
Like skating is fun, at the time I loved to do tricks
looking back through my parents old stuff I found
and all that and skated for that, but when I started
photos from when I was a kid where I would take
watching videos I became really more intrigued by
my action figures and set them up in scenarios, and
the behind the camera stuff. As a kid especially
draw backgrounds with construction paper or
because you have to figure that shit out, because
whatever. And then I would take a photo, and then
you don’t know that stuff.
do it again and again. So I would be like in a sense
Now it's passé and people take it for
in a really weird round about way, be directing
granted, your a filmer and get the big wheels,
little scenes even as a kid.
skateboard, camera with a handle, all that shit. But
So I've been shooting photos since I was
as a kid pre-full force of the internet as well like
about like 7 or 8 years old. And then I got my first
1998-99, you had to figure shit out. So around 13
actual video camera when i was 13, I got a hi8
I got my first hi8 camera, filming the homies and
camera for Christmas. I was really bugging my
doing mini edits, then got the opportunity to learn
parents for it because I was skating a lot and
how to edit at Bronx Net on all analog tape decks.
wanted to film skating.
And then the following year when I was 15 going on 16, I got the chance to learn Final Cut and that changed the whole thing.
“...AS A KID PRE-FULL FORCE OF THE INTERNET... YOU HAD TO FIGURE SHIT OUT.”
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I like taking photos of stuff that isn't necessarily rappers on stage, or models, or lookbook stuff. I like shoot documentary stuff. I feel like there is a NL: Is there a particular reason or idea why you’ve
place for that somewhere within the Mosaic
chosen to create two seperate identites with W.Su-
universe or whatever, but right now it's really
arez and Mosaic New York?
important to take a step back and let people know that hey like I want the Mosaic entity to live on it's
WS: I think there's a lot of what I do with my
own. I want other people to be able to say "Yo I
photography or maybe film work that might not fit
shoot for Mosaic New York too", you know I don't
within the mission statement of Mosaic New York.
want it just to be me all the time. My whole goal
Like right now if Mosaic New York had a mood
overall with Mosaic was to make it into something
board it would be New York Yankees, the Bronx,
that had it's own life.
New York overall obviously but mainly Bronx,
magazine, or online whatever or even physical,
skateboarding, fucking pizza, old school hip hop
that's cool. I have no real set goal for it, which is a
music, some new school hip hop music, heavy
double edged sword. Because you know it makes
metal and punk, outdoorsman shit like hanging out
it difficult when people try to ask what it's about,
in the woods and setting shit on fire. Those are
but it also makes it a lot easier when I want some-
kind of like the confines of Mosaic New York right
one else to shoot.
now that people have kind of come to understand
I feel like the natural path of progress for some-
and know. Whether it be through video, photo or
thing like this is to be able to take a step back and
otherwise, but for me in a weird way that's a little
hand over responsibilities of sorts, you can't just do
too limiting even though I've set those constraints
something like this on your own forever. My real
myself. So I guess in a weird way it's me trying to
hope is to grow Mosaic into it's own entity, now a
take a step back from Mosaic and get a breath of
days I'm calling it a media collective because that's
fresh air out of those borders and also show like
what I feel like it is whether photo, video, or design
hey I'm not just this brand of media content.
work, we support our friends.
If it turns into an online
05
NL: You mentioned you carry upwards to 9 camer-
been decent. You edit it a little bit and you post it
as in your bag at all times, that’s not something you
on the internet. Off face value that's not hard.
hear everyday. Can you elaborate on why you carry so many?
Now when it comes to knowing your craft and being able to do things on the fly, taking it serious enough to sometimes if need be to put
WS: I didn't always carry so many cameras, I think
yourself or your equipment in danger to get that
the 9 camera in the backpack thing has really
shot. That's where the cream rises to the top so to
evolved this summer. I think before I would carry
speak I feel at least. So I started carrying a bunch
maybe like two digital cameras, and maybe like
of cameras one by one by one this summer more
two 35mm cameras. But this summer I've really
because every kid out here is carrying a something
kind of jumped back into not only photography but
'D' camera. Awesome. I'm going to lessen my
working so hard in general because I had spent the
digital intake and start shooting more instant film
last year working at a production company 9 to 5
and polaroids, fujifilm, and 35 millimeter. My
which really took me out of everything for an
whole show on October 9th is 35 mm, there's no
entire fall, winter, and spring. I was out of the loop,
digital in that entire show. That's kind of what has
I wasn't going to shows or events, I wasn't shooting
influenced this like 50 pound backpack that I carry
anything and Mosaic really wasn't posting
around everywhere. I shoot color polaroids on one
anything. It was just really low.
camera, black and white on a different one, I shoot
So coming back into it and really having
a whole different style of film on
a different
the time this summer to really kind of just dive
polaroid, I shoot the fujifilm wide, the fujifilm
back into this like hey I'm going to come at this
mini, I shoot 35 mm, canon M, and then I pull out
110% if not more this time, it's just really expanded
the 5D if I'm at a show and need to shoot an event.
my horizons and how am I going to do this differ-
So those will all be on me at any given time.
ently. We've spoken about how photographers are a dime a dozen out here right? And nobody's paying anybody unfortunately. Like if you're a paid staff photographer somewhere, you are on cloud nine. You get paid to take photos, and I'll be the first one to say that's not hard. There's a lot of people out here that want to front like, “Yo photography is so hard” it's not hard. You snap a photo, if you're good you get it on the first try, if your whatever you can take a whole bunch of burst photos and check them out later and grab some that might
“... every kid out here is carrying a something ‘D’ camera. Awesome. I’m going to lessen my digital intake...and shoot more film”
have
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NL: Polaroids seem to be this timeless aspect of photography still alive to this day. What’s your relationship with Polaroids and how has it influenced your work / approach to photography? I had never really been exposed to polaroid photography other than family outings, but they've always been really interesting to me. But again this past summer diving into it, learning more about it too. I've had in Instax mini which I've been shooting for about 4 years now, doing full body portraits of people almost like trading cards. When I got an
“i fee l digita like shoot in l so al photo has g a most easy.” become
SX-70 then a Polaroid 600, and little by little figuring out "Oh if I take a photo in 90 degree weather in bright sunlight the photo comes out like this. Or
That's kind of given me a new lease on photogra-
if I take it at 70 degrees at a baseball stadium it
phy, because at this point I feel like shooting a
looks completely different.
digital photo has become so almost easy. You can totally manicure a bad photo digitally. So I feel like it sucks to say but sometimes you look at digital photos and I'm like I won't believe it until I see it, because you know that might not have been what was taken in the camera. Something I like to pride myself on is even my digital photos is if you go back looking at the raw photos they won't look very different from what you see as the final product. I like to shoot what you get. Even when I shoot at shows a lot of people shoot color, I'll shoot black and white straight out of the camera so I know what I got right there. I'll see it and I'm like that's it, that's the shot. So if I'm at a show or shooting an artist, I'm really comfortable when knowing that I'm done. I heard I think Hype Williams said once something along the lines of, "I don't shoot an inch more of film than I need, why bother." If you feel in yourself that you got it, just roll with it.
07
NL: Do you have a favorite photo that you’ve
I always want to give a feeling of like if you were
taken? If so, could you talk about the moment and
there it recharges you like yes I totally remember
environment surrounding the photograph?
that I was there, and if you weren't there you feel like you fucked up and missed the best show ever.
WS: I've got a few recent ones and one like I guess
I always like to draw those emotions out with my
classic one that's always stuck with me. There's a
photography.vv
photo I took of Trash Talk with Lee Spielman at AfroPunk, where there's no negative space in the
NL: What's the future for Wilfredo Suarez and
photo. Usually at show photography you'll see the
Mosaic New York?
space or the drummer or the lights, something like that. This photo is just Lee's head in the middle
WS: As far as collabs go, I have no idea. I still see
with his hand reaching out at the camera and this
myself as a really small fish out here, so I feel like
sea of kids surrounding him, you can't see anything
I have build up a certain presence of body of work
other than bodies. That photo is fucking crazy.
before I can be reached out to or reach out and say
And then there's another photo that's a Polaroid
hey here's my work you should put it on a shirt or
that I took at Yankee stadium this summer of a little
this or that. Events though there might be a few, I
kid with Jeter jersey.
I shot him from behind
can say that much. I'm looking to do one continu-
looking at home plate from right field, and he's
ous ongoing party right now for the winter at least.
leaning up against the railing with the stadium in the background. And that photo is super cool to me
NL: Anything you want to end on?
because the moment in time being Jeter's last season. And then the other photo I feel like is a
WS: Keep your eyes open. I always go by that,
constant favorite for me whenever I look back at
keep your eyes open.
it,is from 2007 or 2006 from this band called Elysia zof the lead singer on this knees on stage covering his eyes, which I feel has so much in that photo.
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we WOULd like to thank Wilfredo Suarez for his time and allowing us to document NYC through his eyes. to get in contact with wil please check his site themosaicnewyork.com and can reach him at themosaicnewyork@gmail.com. AND THANKS TO YOU, THE READER! Experiences are everything, and this is just the beginning. Be on the lookout for new CreNativ volumes releasing EVERY MONTH, if you enjoyed this please download and share with a friend/coworker etc. we are a creative collective based out of brooklyn, ny. THINK YOU KNOW SOMEONE WE SHOULD FEATURE? SEND US AN EMAIL AT ALEXNASH@NATIVLABEL.COM Wil’s debut show is this friday october 10th, 6-9pm. rivington design house // 52 kenmare new york, ny
Photo Credit: W.Suarez / Mosaic NewYork Creative Direction / Photo: Alex Nash / Nativ Label Wardobe: 3M Logo Tee & Trolley Dodgers Snapback Provided by Nativ Label
All materials contained on this publication are the property of Nativ Label and The Mosaic New York respectively. Information in this article may not be recreated, manipulated, or otherwise altered without the expressed written consent of Nativ Label or The Mosaic New York.
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www.themosaicnewyork.com www.nativlabel.com E PLURIBUS UNUM.