Los Angeles-based artist Flëkz transforms a 10-by-20-foot blank wall into a work of art with just a roll of blue tape.
Art first piqued Gustavo Fuentes’ interest five years ago, and since then, in addition to being a second-year California State University, Northridge student, he said he has been doing both street art and commissioned artwork. Fuentes, otherwise known as Flëkz, will be creating one of his tape design pieces live at the JazzReggae Festival on Saturday.
The Daily Bruin’s Ruhee Patel spoke with Fuentes about his artistic style, his plans for JazzReggae and the experience of creating live art.
Daily Bruin: How did you initially get into art?
Gustavo Fuentes: I started off by watching “Exit Through the Gift Shop.” It has some of the best artists compiled into one movie, so then I got really interested by that. I thought it was really rebellious and awesome. So I started making my own stencils, and then I started doing street art.
Two years later, after working with stencils and practicing some of my stencil designs, I got the random idea of doing tape designs as a stencil, and that’s how I started working with tape.
DB: How would you describe your artistic style?
GF: I’d say it’s geometric tape design, kind of with a sense of sacred geometry, which is when geometry balances out by itself naturally without any measurements. It just works out, like with the structure of an egg or shells.
DB: Where do you get inspiration for your images?
GF: I’m really into architecture. I see examples of buildings or even from some other artists. I see some designs that they do and I’ll incorporate it in some way into my work. But most of the time, it just happens. In my mind, I’ll contemplate a design for weeks, and I’ll think, “That’ll look really good if I add it to another piece.” I realized that every time I work on a new piece, it’s a learning experience. I learn something new for another piece from the last piece I made. Every time I go back and work on a new piece, I make sure to incorporate those new designs and try making up more original (designs).
DB: How is the experience of creating live art different from creating art without an audience?
GF: When there’s no audience, you get to do whatever you want. You get to take your sweet time, and there’s not that much pressure. But then when you have an audience, there’s definitely more pressure and in some ways that actually makes art a lot better. I love working around people because I like the energy. Not because (the audience is) looking at the work, but because I’m able to socialize with people. At that point it’s not even about my work, it’s just me getting to know the people who are viewing my work.
DB: How did you get involved with the JazzReggae Festival?
GF: I was asked to be a part of it by (art director) Juan Pablo Garces. He messaged me about two months ago (after) he found me through Instagram.
DB: How long will you be at the JazzReggae Festival?
GF: I’m going to be there the whole day – I’m going to be separating the work. I don’t want to go just straight at it because that limits the possibility of some people seeing me work. Usually I rush my pieces. At a scale of 10-foot by 20-foot, when I’m on the street, I’ll finish it in about three hours or four, and if I’m rushing it, maybe two hours. But I’m going to take my sweet time (at JazzReggae) and have fun especially because it’s a festival.
DB: What do you have planned for JazzReggae?
GF: Usually when I work, I don’t map things out. I like to freestyle it and just see what comes out. That’s the way all of my designs come out except for commission work – then I actually design and show the (patrons) how it’s going to come out.
But with a piece like this I’m not going to plan it, I’m just going to completely freestyle the design and just have the most organic base for this piece. To make Juan happy in a way and to show appreciation for him giving me this opportunity, I’m going to do a piece that’s similar to my old work, but at the same time is completely new and fresh.
Compiled by Ruhee Patel, A&E contributor.