InterviewwithDaveTourj

ByMaryAnnaPomonis MaryAnnaPomonisisan artistandawriterlivinginLos Angeles.Pomonishasshown atgalleriesandinstitutions including,theKrannertArt Museum,DianaLowenstein FineArtsinMiami,The TorranceArtMuseum,Cirrus Gallery,SpaceBGalleryinNew YorkCity,Ispacegalleryin ChicagoandAnnieWhartonLosAngeles.Herartworkhasbeen featuredintheHuffingtonPost,SaatchiOnlinemagazine,Whitehot MagazineandArtweek.Additionallyhercuratorialprojectsandessays havebeenfeaturedatcommercialandcollegeartgalleriessuchasThe WhittierCollegeGreenleafGallery,PostGallery,PeterMillerGallery andCircusGallery.

MAP:Ihavenoticedthatartistsinbandsarereallydifferentthanstudio artists.Musiciansinbandsneedotherpeopletomaketheirwork,while studioartistsworkindependentlyandseemtobemoreintrovertedin theirprocess.Asamusicianthatmakespaintings,howdoyoudeal withthepersonalityshiftinginvolvedinthesetwooppositepractices (artandmusic)?

DT:Itisverydifferentinsomeways,verysimilarinothers.Asan ensembleplayer,thereisamutualcreationoftheeffect.Thereis sharing,musicalchemistry,telepathyandsoforth.Andwhenyouplay, theresultisephemeralthesoundresidesintheaudienceand evaporatesintime.Inthe(art)studio,youarealonewithyourideas. Youstaredowntheblankcanvasbyyourself.Itisverylonelyinthat waybutIalsoreallylikeit.Theartworkdoesnotevaporatebut remainsintimeasanobject.Basically,soundandcolorarejust wavelengthsperceivedbyourenvironmentalchannels,andthatisthe similaritytoseesoundandhearcolorsiswhereitallcomestogether.

MAP:Whoareyourbiggestinfluences,bothinmusicandart?

DT:Forart,Igrewupcopyingsurfandhotrodmags.Ihavealways lovedRickGriffinandBigDaddyRoth.Iwasneverinfluencedby traditionalarthistoryormovements.Formusic,itbeganasrockand roll(TheRollingStones,LedZeppelin,Hendrix,etc.).ButIwent backwardsintotheblueslikeJohnnyWinter,MuddyWaters,Little Walter,RobertJohnson.Ihadalotofjazzfriendsandwewereheavy intothat.IthinkColtranewasmyreligionatonetime,thenEricDolphy andOrnetteColeman.Ibegan hearingthedissonanceand polyrhythms,andIthinkDolphy isthegreatestmusicianever.

MAP:LosAngelesasaplace stronglyinfluencestheimagery inyourwork.Whatdoesit meantoyoutobeanAngeleno native,andhowisthatpresent inyourwork?

DT:LosAngelesisaseaof dichotomies,contradictionsand harmonies.Iwasbornhereandlivedinallthemainsubcultural evolutions,suchasBMX,skate,surf,hotrod,lowrider,punk,etc.It was/ismulticultural,multiethnic.MymomwasfromMexicoCity,I livedinadualculture.Ithastakenmedecadestofinallyfeel comfortable,thatIhavereconciledthismilieuintoalanguagethat communicatesitallforme.

Terminal Elevation Principle Vol. 2, 2011, acrylic, spray paint, gold leaf on acrylic glass, 108" x 108"

MAP:Doyoutrytoimagineyourworkinitsfinallocationwhenyouare creatingit?

DT:No,infactIamsometimesconcernedwhereitmayenduploston awallinavacationhomeinPalmSpringsorsomething.Imakethe workforitsownsakeonly.Ihavenoothermotivationfinancially, commerciallyorotherwise.Whathappensafterhappens....

MAP:Whatisyourprocess?

DT:Theactofpaintingisthefinalact,anditisa relativelyshortprocess.Theactualworkbegins asaflashideathatIcarryaroundmentally sometimesformonths.Imaymakeacrude sketch.Ikickitaroundandchangeitbecauseit isusuallyanabstractidea,notanarrative reality.Generally,Idonot"understand"itinthe usualsense,butIknowitisright.So,Ihavehad todevelopamoreintuitiveapproachmore commontomusicians.Its"feel."Lifeitselfthe worldaroundme,whatgoesonintheworld, people,experiencethisistheactualstudio. RideRideRide(TheWildSurf),2010, acrylic,spraypaint,goldleafonacrylic Thenitallgetscondensedinthisprocessinto glass,60"x90" thefinalform,theworkitself.So,Iconsiderthat Iamalwaysinthestudio,alwayscreating,becausethisprocessisalways happening.Icomeupwithmusicalideasthesameway,whichIrecordona handheldrecordersoIdontforget.Its24/7.Sometimesitsbestformeto leavetownforawhile,becauseinthequietofanewspaceIgeneratemore newideasthatentertheprocess. MAP:Howdoestheterm"street"applytoyourwork? DT:Streetmeanssubculture,really.Thecolorandenergyfoundinthe urbanenvironment.IgrewupinL.A.,verymuchapartofthat.Itswhat alwaysinspiredmeandstilldoes.Iloveotherthings,butthatismy coreanditisthereconciliationoftheseinfluencesthatIhavespentmy timeattempting.

MAP:Doesstreetartloseitscredentialswhenitsviewedinamuseum, andcanitbeappreciatedinamassivesurveyshowlikethe"artofthe streets"atMOCA?

DT:Theartistcreatesnewrealitiesintheculture,thisisnothingnew. TheMOCAshowtomeisjustasignal,thatthisaesthetichasreached themainstream,sowhygetupsetaboutthepoliticsofit.Itcouldnotbe stoppedorpreventedfromhappening,justlikeElviscouldnotbe stopped,orsurfcultureaesthetic.Somethingthatpowerfulcouldnever becontained.Thequestioniswhetheritalltranslatestoagalleryview,

whichIdonotthinkitso,thoughsome,likeChaz,do.Timewilltellhow itallshakesout.

MAP:Whoisthebestskateraliveandwhoisthebestyouhaveskated with?Thebestmusician?Thebestpainter?

DT:Itsalwayshardtosay"best."JayAdamsisthemostinfluential skater,Ithink.ThenChristianHosoi. Asformusic,thegreatestarenolonger alive[artists]likeCaptainBeefheart, EricDolphy,MuddyWaters.Butitsall opinion,Imsuretherearesomegreats outthere.PeraltaandShogoKubo wouldcometoourbowlinMt. Washingtonand skatethatwasinspiring.Myfriend sawdrummerFrankButler(Miles Davis,etc.)playatDontes.Hewas homeless,soDarylinvitedhimtostay athispad.Wewouldjamwiththis OfEveryAny,2004,acrylic,spraypaint,gold Great,whowouldteachusabout leafonacrylicglass,72"x86" improvisationinparallelconceptslikechasingsomeonedownand trappingthem.HesaidhewasintheLionelHamptonBandplayingat theKennedyinaugurationandtoldustheywereshootingjunk,looking upthroughthebleacherswhileKennedyspokeprettycrazyshitbut impressivetous.

Q:YourworkseemstoteeterontheedgeofHighBrowandLowBrow. Youusespraypaintbutyourenotagraffittiartist.Youwereimmersed intheskateandmusicscenesofthe70sand80sbutarenotcaptured bythoseperiods.Howdoyouexplainthis?

A:Iwasthere.Ilivedit.Ididit.Anyonewhodid,knowsthevitalityand energyofthatmoment.Iwasnota"street"artist,practicingmyartin thestreet.Ijustrefertoit,asitwasimportanttome,butitdoesnot compriseeverythinginthework.Therewerenograffiti"artists"back thenwhereIwasfromjustgangswritingwiththattensebackand forthdialogue.Ilikebeingindependentasopposedtobeingpartofa groupaestheticandIrefertomanythingsincludingcarculture,the word,conceptualism,lightandspaceandsoon.Imnotlookingtomy

pastinordertogetbacktoitinsomeway,butImderivingtheenergyI recallfromittoblendwithmoreabstract,sophisticatedconceptsIm lookingtoarticulate.

Q:DescribetheL.A.musicsceneofthelate70sthroughthemid80s. A:Itwasamazing!Punk,funk,country,metalwhatever.Itwaselectric andalivewithpeoplepushingboundariesaround,sothelinesblurred anditbecameveryfertile.Thesehybridsbeganpoppinguplikethe ChiliPeppers,Minutemen,etc.Itwaslikenothingeverseensince.You couldcatchDexterGordonatConcertsbytheSea,thentheDickiesat theWhiskyinthesamenight.X,theBlasters,TopJimmyandthe RhythmPigs.TheshitwasON,man!!

MAP:Bringingitbacktotheartwheredoesthatstuffshowupformally inyourmaterialchoices?Whatcolorsandtexturesareyouattractedto andwhy? DT:Forpainting,Ilovethe slicknessofmymediumonacrylic glass.Itremindsmeofhotrods orsurfboards.Thecoloris supersaturatedandunaffectedby textureasincanvas.Asfor sculpture,Ilikethegritandfunk ofthefoundobject.It'sadifferentprocess,wherebydisparateelements findtheirfinalplace,accordingtomyopinion.LarryBellsaidthatthe workistheevidenceoftheinvestigation.Thatworksforme.