st. (tentacles series) 50×69 cm. mixed media on paper. june 2015

Briefly describe the work you do.  

I do mostly paintings. but also digital art, video art and drawing. My work addresses the visual perception. my only aim is to provoke emotions throughout the colors, composition and rhythm. with no narrative at all. I have realised I tend to adopt a mocking tone in my work. Playing with opposing ideas and being deliberately superficial. In some way I feel attracted by the ridiculousness. And I want to put it into a pedestal. I love the idea of playing down the importance of things, including my own existence. But somehow, I fall in the paradox of “to give importance to play down importance”

Tell us about your background and how that has had an influence on your work and on you as an artist. 

I grew up in a middle class family, in a middle-sized town in Spain in the seventies. not surrounded by art or culture at all. but my elder brother liked to paint copying some famous paintings from an encyclopedia of modern art we had at home. i still remember the strong smell of turpentine in our room. and how I enjoyed watching those photos of modern and contemporary art. There was also a little museum in the town. set by a private collection of kinetic and geometric art. I visited a few times. I didn’t imagine how much these images impressed me and conformed my sensitivity.

st. (tentacles series) 90×120 cm. acrilic and spray paint on paper. april 2015

The concept of the artist studio has a broad range of meanings in contemporary practice. Artists may spend much of their time in the actual studio, or they may spend very little time in it. Tell us about your individual studio practice and how it differs from or is the same as traditional notions of “being in the studio.” 

For me the studio is not a sanctuary. it is a necessity. as long as you work with materials and produce objects. I envy writers or artists who only need a laptop or a little pad to develop just ideas or concepts. so they can move around freely and create whenever and wherever they want. in fact, this is the reason I have been thinking seriously sometimes of going exclusively to digital. Finally, I can’t pass over the enormous pleasure that provides me the physical act of painting. Not always I had a proper studio. most of the times I had just a room of the flat. and it hasn’t been a big problem. most of my time I have worked in small format. you don’t need necessarily bigger sizes for making big artwork. At this moment, after moving to Thailand, I found an “artist-in-residence studio” that was temporary. but after the period of stay i was able to rent it. This is, actually a garage. is not a proper studio, nor a proper living space. but I am happy. I have quite good space. I like the place and the location, in the Japanese quarter of Bangkok.

What roles do you find yourself playing that you may not have envisioned yourself in when you first started making art? 

Being a self promoter. a thing which I don’t like and don’t think I do well. but until I find an agent, this is something I can’t avoid.

When do you find is the best time to make art? Do you set aside a specific time everyday or do you have to work whenever time allows? 

I don’t feel there is a better or worse time of the day for creating. the only thing I need is to have free time onwards. so i can get concentrated.

st. (tentacles series) 120×90 cm. mixed media on paper. april 2015

How has your work changed in the past five years? How is it the same?  

I used to go more into drawing. with a tendency of eroticism. I invented a character in between human and doll teenagers, sexy and a bit nasty. and created a little universe of them. I called them “girlinas” (you can google them, if you are interested in) this is very different from the work I am doing now. but I believe I made them with the same spirit in how I approach the ideas and feelings: grace, some kind of stupidity, and spark.

How have people such as family, friends, writers, philosophers, other artists or even pop icons had an impact on the work you do?

This is difficult to say with precision. my work is conformed by how I am. and how I am is the result of an every single experience and circumstance in my life. I recognise the influence of some artists, like jeff koons. or books like “ubu roi”.  but I am not sure if this have more weigh in how I paint and how I am that the memories and the feelings of my childhood.

Have you ever been pulled in the direction of a pursuit other than being an artist? What are your other interests?   

I have studied graphic design and product design. I realised I didn’t like graphic design. but product design is something what I always loved to do. in fact, I must say I feel split between art and product design.

I know that seems to be completely antagonized. but I can say in my mind there are an artist and a product designer. and they coexist very well.

About

I am David Delgado, a Spanish artist based currently in Bangkok. I have studied graphic and product design. and also illustration and advanced etching techniques. But never worked professionally in those subjects. Since I finished my studies I am dedicated almost exclusively into art. with exhibitions in Barcelona, Switzerland or California, at the beginning of this year, I decided to move to Thailand. I always wanted to come to Asia. I feel very close to asian sensitivity.I do mostly paintings; abstract art. and also sometimes I go for moving images, working on video-creation pieces. Interested in creating emotions through color and rhythm. my personal quest is to reach the absolute grace; grace is for me something above political or philosophical speech; much higher. at least in the practice of arts. my interests go from decorative arts to trash culture. a constant in my work is ridiculous, freshness and honesty.

delgadodavid.com

All images copyright of the artist and used with their permission.