From this point forward on Forever Reverie I will be interviewing artists/designers/musicians, etc. that are a major influence to myself and to others. In the spirit of the website, which is to serve as an inspirational source for all creative types, I have decided to start things off with renowned artist David Garibaldi. David is a direct influence in my life, being that he is from my home-town of Sacramento and I have personally seen him paint live. I thought he would be a great match for the Inspirational Interviews section of the site because his story is one of low lows and ultimate highs- a roller-coaster ride that most artists experience in life. With much respect and thanks to David, I present the first Inspirational Interview!
“Rhythm, Color, Culture, Energy; These Four words describe the experience viewing the creations of world renowned Artist David Garibaldi. Born in Los Angeles in 1982, Garibaldi began creating at a young age. After relocating and growing up in Sacramento, it was not until high school, after walking away from a life of graffiti in the streets, that he turned his influences of hip hop culture into a positive direction. Unfortunately by then, it was too late to make up lost time in school, and he could not graduate. A season of hard times to come could not shake the drive of this young artist from pursuing his dreams.
In 2003, David Garibaldi began to turn his illustrations on paper into paintings on canvas. Garibaldi would paint live at urban jazz sessions, nightclubs, and hip hop events for direct influence by the music, and he began to create a buzz about his work along the way.”
Inspired by the late Denny Dent, a performance painter, Garibaldi set out to create his own unique live experience called “Rhythm and Hue”, a magnificent show combining art, music, and even dancing that stimulates the viewer and gets your heart racing. The performance is also a way for David to tell the story of his journey from high school drop-out to a painter that has opened for Blue Man Group and painted for Disney. In order to really understand what David does, it is an experience that must be seen, heard, and felt. In order to get into the mind of the artist, I asked David some questions which I felt reflected his world and the world of all artists, asking him to shed light on his own experiences and the trials most artists face.
Dan: Denny Dent is an obvious influence on your performance art. What do you think drew you to this style of art? Do you see your performances as a continuation of his art or a tribute to his passion? How would you say your art is different from Dent’s?
David: Dent is one of the biggest artistic inspirations in my life, but it was the life I was leading up to seeing his work for the first time that sparked this journey. I’ve been an artist since I could hold a crayon, and all throughout my life that was what I identified myself as. As I grew up I also learned to play the trumpet, got into graffiti, animation, and obviously dance later in high school. I had been doing all these things and already painting live. When I saw Dents work my experiences prepared me for that moment. I could have walked by and said “cool art” but instead the next day I started teaching myself this art form. To a person looking from the outside or who sees 1 or 2 YouTube videos it may look exactly the same, but my approach and process is something I try to make more relevant to my generation. The subjects, the entertainment value, my story and message. I think people are actually surprised when they hear how my story lead me to this style. I’ll continue to push the boundaries of this art form Dent pioneered and started and to me that is a tribute in itself. People will always ask where it started, it was Dent. I will also use it as a platform to benefit so many people around the world.
Dan: I know you personally create art using multiple types of mediums including performance painting on canvas, studio painting, sketching, and digital art. How important do you think it is for artists to learn multiple techniques and tools?
David: I’m an artist so I will create with anything, my iPad, white board, chalk, my nephews crayons, everything is a challenge. When I first started painting I was so poor all I could paint on were cabinet doors. You make it happen. The hardest thing is focusing those ideas. I heard Wayne Theibaud say, “give yourself a problem and your style will come out of that”. Something like that. He gave examples of artist who put limitations on their mediums and produced not only amazing work but subject matters too. I was blessed to be exposed to so many mediums growing up, and I may not put it all out commercially but you’ll definitely see it all on my blog. Just create!
Dan: I recently had the privilege of attending your film opening “Walking Dreams” at the Crest Theater inSacramento, CA. I was struck by the way you use painting, music, and dance to stimulate the senses. Is “Rhythm and Hue” a culmination of all your passions combined and how did the idea come about?
David: My ultimate goal is to create images on stage in an entertaining way. To do that sometimes there’s video, sometimes it requires dance (or something that looks like it), the lights, sound. I’m on stage where you should entertain, create 3 dimensional experiences. It’s more than painting live, it’s performance painting. The stage is another medium for me to create, and put to use all the arts I was exposed to growing up. I know my middle school music teacher would be proud.
Dan: You make it a point to give back to the world and raise money for various charities. Why is this personally important to you? Do you feel that passionate artists can be champions of social change?
David: As artists we get these ideas for free, materials to create are most of the time affordable, and the value we can bring to objects can bring value to others. When I started realizing how much my paintings were going for in auctions, I just thought wow I have such a unique opportunity to use this for others. There are great artist that raise the awareness for change but as artists we still need to go above and beyond creating to see some real change happen. Use our platforms as artist but we need to get out of the studio and go to the people that can use the change you want to see. In my perspective the real champions of change are people doing the hands on work everyday. Teachers, social workers, non profit volunteers, the after school program directors. Those are the people I want to support and sustain their giving. I see myself more of an enabler of those champions of change.
Dan: You’ve had a great opportunity to work with many amazing people and businesses all over the world. How important do you think it is for an artist to build his identity and build a brand around his style?
David: To build a brand or an identity is not really at the forefront of an artists mind when they start creating but some of the bests artists do it without even thinking of it. When a graffiti artist wants the respect of an “all city” title, what do they do? They write their name everywhere so everyone sees it and remembers it. That’s branding. It’s the same way a company puts out ads so we buy into their product. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that, it just depends on what you are selling as an artist. Don’t sell crap! Sell inspiration, sell awareness, sell empowerment, sell humor, etc. Build a brand as an artist so you can sustain creating, you can reach people with your message, and you can hopefully leave a legacy behind for your kids. We don’t get retirement plans as artists, so I’m not hating on any artist smart enough to provide for their family through their global art brand. I just hope they use it to inspire and benefit others along the way. That’s what I hope to do.
Don’t forget to visit David’s website here > GaribaldiArts.com and be sure to check out his pictures, videos, and upcoming shows.
Garibaldi Promo Reel 2009 from David Garibaldi on Vimeo.
