Non-profit. Throw waste.
We started this band while I was finishing up coursework for a Master’s Degree in Chicana Studies; my research revolved around the performance of masculinity in Hardcore punk rock. The lyrics I write are rooted in violence as an extension of masculinity.
As art, Knuckle Sandwich isn’t necessarily an endorsement of violence, but the performance thereof. There is a ritualistic aspect to the mosh pit, as it is a space where people can assert masculinity and appreciation for the noise.
She says the name {of her book} came about because “True pain lies under our own minds like roofs… We gotta tend to what we have before we set it ablaze.”
I think Sob Story as a moniker aligns with a lot of people’s lives — everyone has their sob stories they tell themselves, everybody has their excuses in life. It was born from a moment in time when things weren’t going my way, but almost satirically. I think a lot of my work depicts a funnier side of life. But the name itself comes from a Minor Threat song.
To me, the art gallery world always represented something very elitist and bougie. What we started doing with Superchief was bringing a lot of working-class people into the fold, because everybody we created with were just kids from the gutter trying to make it happen like us.
Back then, recognition came from pure skill. Today, you still have to be good, but social presence has become another layer in the process. You need online visibility on top of talent if you want sponsors or brand partners. It is not a phase the culture went through; it is how the landscape evolved.
I think everyone should be proud to claim where they come from. It’s not something you can change.
Siento que todo desde mi niñez en Colombia – la gráfica popular, las cartas de amor que se regalaban en los 90s, las dedicatorias de canciones, el merengue – han hecho que mi trabajo se centre en un tema más ‘romántica…’ Pero en una manera más profundo que simplemente tener pareja; también se trata de poder dar amor a tus amistades y al mundo que te rodea, que solo algo estético.
I feel that everything from my childhood in Colombia – the popular art, the love letters that were given as gifts in the 90s, the song dedications, the merengue – has made my work focus on a more ‘romantic’ theme… But in a deeper way than simply having a partner, it’s also about being able to give love to your friends and the world around you, not just something aesthetic.
I’ve been shooting photos for quite some time but have been focused on graffiti for about ten years now. I first set out to capture the old gems I grew up seeing. Most of them no longer exist, but seeing how quickly times are changing made me feel a need to document as much as possible.
