Rick Frausto

What inspires your artwork?

The strength of the human spirit, primarily. The complexity and beauty of nature is a never-ending source of inspiration, and the vibrancy of pop-culture always intrigues and keeps things fresh.

For your drawing series, you work almost exclusively with pen and ink, why is this your chosen medium?

I’ve found that it’s the most effective medium for communicating the messages I strive to convey. Also, it lends itself to my lifestyle. I’ve been traveling full-time since 2017 and a pad of paper and pen are easy to take with me wherever I go.

How do you choose your subjects?

It’s actually a very spontaneous thing. Usually, it begins as a visceral reaction to words - whether written or spoken - by an individual who compels me to want to take action as a result of their courage. Their ability to speak truth to power and their fearlessness in standing up for justice, equality and freedom.

Once a subject is chosen, given their generally widespread influence, how do you go about selecting just the one quote to illustrate?

I generally choose quotes that are relevant to the times. They need to resonate and fit within the context of current events. Intuition also plays a big part in the choosing; If I feel and connect to the words deeply, I know that others will likely react similarly.

Which piece has been your favourite thus far?

I’m particularly fond of a drawing I feel is timely as it relates to our upcoming election. It’s called “The Axe” and is based on this Turkish proverb: “The forest was shrinking but the trees kept voting for the axe, for the axe was clever and convinced the trees that because his handle was made of wood he was one of them.” I’m also partial to the tribute portrait of the great John Lewis, as well as the Angela Davis drawing. An all-time favorite from back in the day is the Native American Proverb - inspired by the Standing Rock protests, first drawn in 2016 and reinterpreted in 2019.

In reminding people of these prolific and prevalent voices, what do you hope to achieve?

My hope is that the work inspires and uplifts, as well as encourages people to use their voices and take action to bring about change.

Your Visual Activism series is beautifully moving, do you use art as a form of protest?

Thank you! Yes, the works from the Visual Activism series are my primary form of protest and a way to use my voice and vision to expand awareness and inspire action.

If you had a platform to vocalise anything and have global reach, what is something you would like people to gain or learn from you?

To always have hope, as cliche as it sounds. And to be inspired by the people, images and words of wisdom portrayed in the Visual Activism series, which ideally, serves as a reminder that we too can fight the good fight. Each of us are powerful beyond measure, especially when we come together to unite around a common cause.

Projection Activist, AE Marling, projected your work on walls of the Federal building in San Francisco, UC Berkeley and across other large-scale locations in the Bay area - what was the response to this and will you get involved in any future activist exhibits?

I wish I had been on location when AE projected those images so that I could have witnessed the reactions first hand, but I was traveling at the time. That said, people, including myself, were blown away. To see the

work on such a large scale is incredibly impactful and is a super effective form of protest. I’m very much open to participating in future activist exhibits and curious to see how that sort of thing will unfold in the age of Covid-19. In the meantime, I’d love nothing more than to paint strategically placed murals based on some of the most significant drawings from the Visual Activism series and hope to make that a reality someday soon.

If there is any one person we can look to, in the past or present, for guidance during these trying times, who would you choose?

Dr. Cornel West. In my mind, he is one of the most educated, activated, articulate leaders and inspirers in modern-day history. He’s dedicated, relatable, knows how to bring people together and truly embodies the spirit and qualities of the quintessential activist.

 rickfrausto rickfrausto.com