Another feature for this week is Dominic Sanchez aka @triptych97. I slowly learned about Dom through seeing his work through the Instagram stories of @marcidearte and @counter.cultura. One of the ways I was able to see his art work in person before meeting him was through looking at tote bags he was selling at a store front. They were all basically 1/1 pieces and I decided to cop. It's also big enough to hold Nestor (if you know you know.) I use my Triptych bag to carry my portable PS2 in actually! As of recently I've been able to meet and hangout with Dom and along with taking a closer look at his work in his room in which i like to call the Tripty-Room. It's the abundance of colors being used giving off a very comforting feeling if that makes sense with it's child like nature and freedom upon every piece spread across the room. This is Tryptych-ism.
We start by learning a little bit about Dom as he mentions "I've been enjoying Rap Sh!t" as I've mention that I've only watched The Sopranos on HBO besides movies. Maybe I'll check out Rap Sh!t. The last show I watched was The Rehearsal and I can't exactly put into words, but it's an experience.
Now onto the questions about his Art as I ask Dom what got him interested in creating art as he says "Hmm that's an interesting question because it depends on the medium I was interested in that time. Like as a child I would make little claymations and little clay figures as I grew older I started to make films as well. Eventually when I started college I went to study film and I graduated. The pandemic started I just said let me paint. All my life I was working in art." I add in that I heard from Momo that he was really interested in film as he says "yeah that's true! I want to incorporate into my work because I feel like people don't know that. It's been a part of my life. I even screened a film in Harlingen that a few months ago it was my college thesis." I continue by asking in if it's able to found online or is it currently in his possession only as he says "I've unlisted a lot of things and I've also not told people. Most of my film stuff now revolves around my tiktoks and my reels. I do want to start working with documentaries again." As Dom mentions all of this it feels like it's coming back full circle. From his passion in film and the arts. Who knows what we can expect film wise from Dom in the future as he mentions "I do want to start working on documentaries again." I have an idea for one as well, but hey more the merrier! What's interesting is that I'm also a fan of claymation. It's just super interesting how it's done. The last claymation/stop motion film I saw was the Mad God on Shutter that was just woah! I look forward as mention on how Dom incorporates his passion for film into his other mediums or just how he works with film in general.
Dom mentions film, but how did he transition to the medium that he focuses on now as he says "bringing it back to pandemic I was mostly collaborating with people and getting interviews. It was hard to do during the pandemic well at least for me along with working in the film industry at the time. So I decided to just pivot and as I told myself 'just paint' as I started painting in my room by myself for months. I guess in the end a new persona just emerged from that." I can't imagine panting for so long, but it can also be seen as stress reliving or letting out a form of expression until it just felt right at the time being. Just the thought as he says "for months" that's a hell of a transition, but hey one step into the Tripty-Room and you'll see what it all lead to. It's just really cool to see. It's literally the first room I always think about entering of course if Dom is there with his permission.
How would Dom describe his art his style as he says "I would say very playful like the word I like to use is pop folk art. I reference a lot of pop culture stuff. Shout out Keith Haring. Then again I also like folk art because it's very simple and playful y'know. At the end of the day I want my work to be about people and togetherness and the collective. I think that's the best way to describe it." That sure is one way to describe it I'd for sure call it that not already a label such as "pop folk" but instead Triptych-ism. I just find it fun if we can create a name for it ourselves rather than just falling to some sort of label. As Marci once said "as this triptych on me, I'm trippin in drip" and we know what it is! It more than just "pop folk" that's for sure.
When it comes to Triptych what made him use this name as he says "I had to make another account and taking into my account my college thesis, but I guess you can consider uh the concept of Triptych or Tripty-ism as it's own a thing/a movement in itself. I think it's on that nose or rather on money to say that it's just Tripty-ism." Hell yeah it's on the nose, it's Trypty-ism/Triptych-ism and that how how it should it be. Even just seeing it you can clearly tell what it is and who it's by for sure. It has it's own personality and charm which a lot of artist give onto their work which separate themselves from others which is very cool and interesting to see!
Does Dom have a favorite piece he's created he's created as he shares the piece being "I had it bohemian here for a hot minute. It was a large yellow piece. It was spray painted on as well. It was so lively. That tour that piece had has allowed me to meet a lot of people. It's important to me. It has allowed me to meet people as Dominic the artist." That's interesting to read as Dom mentions "It has allowed me to meet people as Dominic the artist" as he toured around with his piece. Even at Mxlan when Dom was surrounded by other artists as he created his own mural piece on the spot day in and day out during the event. Again introducing himself to the public along with the others as the artists they are. I have a Polaroid of Dom and I that day at Mxlan in front of his mural piece!
As Dominic is there anything about himself that he puts into his work as he says "just about everything! My work is my like my therapy almost. Literally like I feel like I put my mind into my work. It's like my mindscapes like literally. I feel like putting my brain into the work." I would say there is never a piece that looks quite the same. You may think "oh this one looks like that one, but assembled differently" but it really isn't. Don't let the colors or the symbols be just the main focus. Rather lose yourself into what you're looking at in a Triptych piece. Let your child like wonder just take over for a moment. Hey if you ever see a Triptych coloring page you know what to do as well. Let that be your "mindscape."
Dom brings up his work being childish in nature, pop folk, along with what he puts into his work from himself. What would he say it evokes from him? "hmm the feeling. I don't know I guess, I like my art. It makes me happy. Do you know that Future soundbite from the Nardwuar and they bring up cheesecake which leads to Future saying 'cheesecake is sensational.' I think that's how I feel." As he mentions that his artwork evokes a feeling of something "sensational" what do you think it can evokes onto others as he says "probably I think liberation. Agency and freedom in away. Not like literally freeing people, I think community organizers do that already. I feel like I would want to evoke nostalgia and not worrying about expectations or structures and just letting your imagination run free! Fully indulging in structures and systems for yourself because we're just trying to enjoy life. It's something we can lose and certainly something I lost as I got older as I'm just trying to give that back to people." As Dom mentions "giving back" what we lose as we get older. What stops us from just sitting down and coloring? Sitting down and doing any form of expression for ourselves. At mxlan Dom had a booth which coloring pages of his work that he created. I took one of the pages and was about stuff it into my bag until I noticed there was crayons at the booth table and I said fuck it y'know it's not everyday we can just color. I used multiple crayons and just let my imagination and choice of colors run free, It was fun and that's just what we need sometimes. To be given a moment to relive something once lost and coloring to me sure is one them.
Does Dom think when it comes to less structures or an easier access to creativity would make a difference for those to partake in it as Dom shares his thoughts "Yea most definitely. I'm all about access. I would like to turn my work to be more engaging, interactive, but also accessible. It's not the only reason I did my coloring pages. Not only for people to color, but to take it for themselves and interpret it through their own color story." I like our "own color story" even though I colored bent over my lower back didn't forgive me, but hey it was worth it. I remember fighting myself that that with the coloring sheets and debating if I should color it or not, but as mentioned It's not something I do everyday and maybe that should change. Whoever colored after me I also hope they enjoyed it as much as I did.
I continue by asking Dom how he wishes to grow with his work "I would love to uh not be too fixated on any particular medium. I'm painting like crazy right now, but I wanna work with film and pictures. I want to expand with my work conceptually. At the end of the day I see myself as a conceptual artist." It's good that Dom wishes to try different things as he mentioned earlier that he wishes to incorporate his love for film into his work. Bringing it back as that's something I look forward and seeing how he works with that. There's certainly a lot ideas and we love that.
What sort of feedback has Dom received on his work "I think critiques as important as well. Constructive criticism is important as well. I've been told about adding more characters to my roster to use or filling in more gaps as I make the world in my paintings more alive. The feedback is always always." There's always room for constructive criticism which I find important to our growth. I mean even if you didn't go to art school or take any art classes feel free to share your thoughts on a piece. I'm sure people want to talk about their art work or hear any ideas/thoughts you have on them. Make that conversation.
As Dom mentions "characters" there is one character we all seem to know that is the eye with angel wings and a crown. Where did that stem from as he explains "I'm just always doodling like my mom just likes to wonder. When I was in college I just liked to doodle and it was something I always returned to." It certainly has characteristics that when we see it out in public we know what it is automatically and who's it by as Dom says "it's about the repetition. I kinda expected it to happen. Having people associate it with me and it was kinda intended to have it correlate to me." It's interesting to see these happen. That we can attach these items to the artist just seeing in public. Especially when I see stickers on the back of cars and I like to think about just where that local sticker has been and who else has been able to tell who created the sticker.
Dom goes on to share his thoughts on the valley scene,
I definitely enjoy being in my twenties. Things just weren't as accessible in my teens. It's just cool how there's so much. So many elements in the valley.
He adds in one final comment,
Anybody reading or rather anyone reading this check out The Art Of Happiness
Commentaires