Describe your style:
Drawings in paint over re-created time-lapse collage.
Is Reuben Rude your given name?
Not only is Reuben Rude my given name, but my middle name is Sundance.
What has been your involvement in the comics scene?
I was a comic book colorist from 1985 to about ’97 or ’98. I was lucky enough to work on the very first comic to be colored on a computer: Akira for Marvel/Epic. I was involved with many of the early Image comics titles, and colored Savage Dragon by Erik Larsen for over 100 issues. I used to own and operate my own color-separation company here in SF, with my partner and good friend Abel Mouton.
Can you share a little bit about your piece with Infectious and how you conceived of it:
Most of my work is about isolation and loneliness and this one is no exception. This piece has the bird element, which could signify some hope. Like much of my work, this piece has collage and painted elements.
Who/what are your creative influences?
Some of my favorite artists:
Robert Crumb, George Tooker, Chris Ware, Daniel Clowes, Andy Goldsworthy, James Kochalka, Bill Zindel, Mats!?, Clayton Brothers, Thomas Rude, Barry McGee, plus many more. Other influences: Love, Death, and the walls I mentioned earlier.
What was the defining moment in your childhood when you thought – I want to become an artist when I grow up?
No defining moment, I can not remember a time when I didn’t want to be an artist, except ages nine to twelve, when I wanted to be a pro baseball player.
What’s the first picture you can remember drawing as a child?
A copy of a drawing my dad made, it was of a guy on a motorcycle.
What was your first job?
First non-art job: mowing lawns.
First art related job: coloring comics.
What’s your process in creating a piece of art?
Here is a description I wrote awhile ago, describing the creation of a particular painting, called Don’t Try. It is pretty typical of my process:
“First I took a photo of Mission Street in San Francisco, and messed with it in Photoshop, making it into a silhouette. Then I printed it, and took it to a copy shop, where I copied it a few times, as well as enlarging it, so I had a fourth or fifth generation copy, in about four different pieces. Then I sprayed the copies with Krylon Crystal Clear, to make them more durable. I then cut and tore them into smaller pieces for easy pasting to a piece of birch plywood, using acrylic matte medium. After distressing the surface using sanding and spattering, I pasted some pages of a couple of different books onto the board(one book is an incomprehensible text about art, the other an out-of-date engineering manual), creating the sky. All along the way, I continued to lay washes of acrylic paint, as well as spatter, tear and sand the surface. I also painted completely over all the silhouetted background, changing it in some places, and blending it texturally with the sky/pages. I drew the figure smaller than painting size on a separate sheet of paper, loose and sketchy. I scanned the drawing into my computer, and also took a digital picture of the background I had so far. Using Photoshop, I laid the figure onto the background, and got it to the size I wanted. Then I printed out just the figure in two pieces, sprayed it with Crystal Clear, and glued it to the background. After laying a fairly heavy white wash on the figure with gesso (so i could just make out the lines), I repainted the figure, using acrylic, both paint and various mediums. I continued to work on the figure and background until they looked done, but I still felt there was something missing. I decided it needed some butterflies, so I painted them in there. After putting down a coat of satin finish with UV protection, I called it done… Phew!”
If your art was music, what would it sound like?
The Clash – I wish!
What music is rotating on your iPod?
Bob Dylan, The Clash, Aimee Mann, Calexico, Bad Brains, Gang Starr, Dinosaur Jr., Peaches, Jedi Mind Tricks, Juno soundtrack. I could go on, but I won’t…
What’s the most unusual thing that’s ever inspired a piece of your art?
I used to make little signs to stick into piles of dog poop that irresponsible owners had left behind. They said things like “Nice!”, “Fresh!” and “Thanks!”
What’s the best compliment/most extreme reaction you’ve had to your art?
I can’t think of a specific instance, but I’ve had many annoying conversations that go like this:
Random guy/lady: “Your work is so sad, are you sad?”
Me: I don’t really think of it as sad, maybe more melancholy?"
Random guy/lady: “Well, it makes me feel sad. Shouldn’t art make you happy?”
Me: “If you are sad, don’t blame it on me, it’s just paint on wood. Maybe you have some of your own stuff to work out.”
Random guy/lady: “Hmmf, well, then…”
Could you share three unique things in your work space that inspire you?
A vintage Mini Visible Man toy, a small white bird house with chipping paint and a life-size mannequin with Lucha Libre mask.
What art do you have on your walls?
Bill Zindel, Lea Rude, Thomas Rude, Mark Ryden, Shepard Fairey, Mark Todd, Bwana Spoons, Dan Clowes, Chester Brown, Firehouse (Chuck Sperry and Ron Donavan), Mats!?, Tim Biskup, Seonna Hong, Sirron Norris and Ursula Young.
Could you share something about yourself that makes you blush!:
I don’t know about blushing, but I’m a big sports fan, especially baseball, and all my arty hip friends thinks that’s idiotic.
If you had to change careers, what would be next?
A research scientist of some kind.
Are there any upcoming shows or projects you’d like to share?
I have a big solo show coming up in LA at Galley 1988, opens June 23rd.
