By Michael Westfried
Photos by Robert Bostick
MJWS: Can you tell us a little bit about your past? How did you end up in Dallas? How did the Xue Gallery come about?:
OS: I came to Dallas about ten years ago from Chicago. I was born in Monterrey, Mexico. I decided to start a gallery space with a friend of mine, Eduardo Morales, and our idea is to have a space for real artist who are struggling through the path of becoming full time painters, photographers etc.
MJWS: What do you mean when you say real artist? What is the difference between someone who is real, and someone who isn’t?
OS: Real artists are the ones who can’t go on for days without being creative. They are the people who need to create something in order to be at peace with themselves.
MJWS: I know that you are a painter as well. If you have to classify yourself as an artist how would you describe yourself?
OS: I’m simply a person who doesn’t follow the crowd or rules. You can call it Revolutionary. Let me put it this way, I don’t drink coffee at Starbucks.
MJWS: Do you believe that art education plays an important role in being an artist?
OS: If you want to be a teacher and follow “the rules” and learn technique then yes, but an artist you can make art with sticks and stones and have zero education.
MJWS: So, do you see yourself as a “primal” artist in a sense?
OS: Somewhat. One day I just grabbed a brush put some paint on it and started playing with emotions and frustrations of being a kid, then a teenager and now an adult.
MJWS: How many shows have you had so far at the Xue Gallery and what have they been like? Has there been music and large crowds?
OS: There’s been four shows with live music, artists like Don Taylor, Johnatan Gruchawka , Nicolas Gonzales, Nelson Nance and Francisco Alvarado, Solange have taken part in the shows of to name a few. Yes, we have big crowds, half of them there to support art and half of them are just there to drink free beer (just kidding).
MJWS: What has been the most frustrating part of being an artist and what is the most rewarding part of being an artist?
OS: Frustration comes from wanting to be a full-time artist and not being able to because of having to work all day in order to feed yourself and pay bills. The rewarding part of being an artist is a finished canvas, followed with a cigarette and a good nights rest.
MJWS: How has your work changed over the last year?
OS: I think it’s changed for the better after letting myself loose. I started to paint about life experiences, not fantasies. I stopped caring about what people or critics thought about my paintings. I don’t paint to decorate peoples homes, I paint for people that appreciate a good piece of art.
MJWS: Which artists do you think influence you in your work?
OS: None influence my work or style but the ones I look up to and admire are Picasso (of course), Modligiani, Dali, Basquiat, Clemente Osorio, Jim Morrison, Hendrix, German Valdez “Tin Tan”, my father, my brother and the list can go on and on. These artist’s who were once called “crazy” and now are the base of our culture.
MJWS: What does influence your work? Is your work based off of emotions? What inspires you to paint?
OS: My past. I still have a lot of anger from when I was a boy. I stuttered for most of my life and that is no joke when you’re kid. I guess that’s why I’m not a verbally expressive person. Now I show my emotions and anger in my paintings. I have to paint more and more to carry on this inner battle so that I can give my soul calmness.
MJWS: Do you have any upcoming exhibitions you would like to tell us about?
OS: We’re planing a show for the first Saturday in April which would be 4/2/11 but you can stay updated on show dates at our website xueartgallery.com
MJWS: Ok, I think that’s it. Thank you.
OS: No problem. Any time.
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Fantastic interview. Fantastic artist. Fantasitc individual.
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