Nov 10, 2014 8 Questions With: Aaron De La Cruz
Aaron De La Cruz is an accomplished San Francisco-based artist whose work we’ve been lucky enough to see quite a lot of here at Imprint. We were on hand at the Agenda trade show a couple of years ago to record Aaron painting the Flexfit Basecamp booth. (For the record, the first video I shot with my old GoPro Hero 2, and also my first try at editing). He participated in several of the POW! WOW! events such as the first POW! WOW! Taiwan which Imprint founder Julia Huang attended earlier in the year. This September, Aaron flew to Long Beach to beautify our current temporary office space – Camp Edison. And if you live in this part of the universe, he most recently unveiled an absolutely outstanding work in a Modernica chair exhibition which opened on November 1st at Soze Gallery in Los Angeles. Follow Aaron on Instagram to keep up with his latest projects and artwork.
Photo: Jasper Wong
What are you currently working on?
Currently working on the first official release of my jewelry project. This project came as a surprise as I never had my mind set to venture off into jewelry but it allows me to produce my work in a 3D format that people can have instant access to. For me they are less of a jewelry object and more of a small scaled version of my larger sculpture but the public responds well to it and I’m okay with that.
How would you describe your job?
A maker of things that other people own. I find it hard to get used to one “job” title so I like to keep it open.
What does your average work day look like?
Get to the studio around 6 if Im lucky or at least by 8 work on whatever project is on the list of to do then usually out by 3 or 4.
What’s the best thing about living and working in San Francisco?
Having instant access to just about anything I need (tangible and geological). I also love the fact that I am fortunate to live in a city that is a travelers hub so I am able to meet and see friends (new and old) that happen to be passing through all the time. Just that alone has opened many doors in my career and it helps that I am a very social person.
Where do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration in organizing things such as daily tasks or physical objects. My work is a visual representation of how I deal with my situations. Many of my pieces are tied into my past growing up as a youth and trying to find ways I can work along side my family again with current projects. With the work I am producing now I am looking at architecture, tools, items you find in your average home and building projects my brother and dad did with me as a kid.
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grow up?
I don’t really know if I had my mind set on a career aside from wanting to do art. I remember one goal I had was to wear a suit every day and dress nice which is funny because I still have yet to own a suit. I thought that if you dressed nice and wore a suit you made it. haha
What are you reading at the moment?
Whatever someone says on Instagram (not kidding). I had my twin boys a little over a year ago and still have yet to find time to sit down and read. The last books I remember reading were Steve Jobs and The Business of Hip-Hop – both good books. One book that I can recommend to anyone would be The Prophet.
What’s your favorite post-work destination?
If you are referring to each day then it would be heading home.
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