Interview by Jimon

1-What was your earliest childhood memory of making art?  My earliest childhood memory of making art was when I was about eleven and I was obsessed with painting the Sun. I’ve doodled hearts and dollars ever since I can remember and in high school I was passionate and about macramé and dabbled in pottery.

2-What did your path to becoming an artist look like?  I have been a photographer since I was nineteen. My path to becoming an artist started when I first found my negatives of Andy Warhol in 2011. My photography lead me on a journey to Monaco where Prince Albert bought the first edition of my original photographs, Milan where Sharon Stone auctioned another of my images to raise 50K Euros for amfAR and to Art Basel. At Art Basel I conceptualized making Andy into the art as he had done with icons such as Monroe and Mao by having contemporary artists paint using my original images as the canvas. Upon meeting artists Retna, Gregory Siff and Speedy Graffito, I fell in love with the contemporary art scene and especially the street art scene in Los Angeles. I curated and collaborated with over 15 artists including recording artist Chris Brown on my first show ” Andy Goes Street.” Since 2012, I have woken up everyday with passion for creating art. In the process of collaboration I became my own artist and in 2016 I had my first solo show. My life’s mission is in my art and curation is INCLUSION.

3-Where did you grow up and how did that affect you as an artist?  I refer to myself as a “World Baby” because my childhood involved a lot of travel and moving from country to country and city to city. Mostly I grew up in metropolitan cities specifically London, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Paris.  Moving around so much was a bit unsettling in terms of stability however what it trained me to be open to different cultures as well as honing my communication skills. I was exposed to many different people from many different backgrounds. I believe the latter strongly formed who I am as an artist and as a person today.

4-Where do you currently live and create?  I currently live and create in DTLA (Los Angeles).

5-How would you describe yourself as an artist?  First, I am a conceptual Artist who loves to work in layers. Most of my artwork is based on a conceptual idea either historical or of social relevance. My education in Art History as well as my now intimate knowledge of and influence by Andy Warhol plays in everything I create. I would also describe myself as a Mixed Media artist. My “THE LOST WARHOLS ” Collection, which features-photography and paint has played a part in popularizing ‘Mixed Media” as fine Art.  I often work with different mediums. I have made myself into the art with my “GOLD QUEEN” series and now my metallic “KING SERIES” will be a huge art installation in the streets of Havana (sponsored by Havana House.) My idea is that we can all be “the art.”

6-You have a series called Lost Warhols, what was the inception of this series?  I am the Curator and Creator of The Lost Warhols. By conceptualized making Andy Warhol into the art and having contemporary street and fine artist paint on top of my original images, or rather using my original images as the canvas to create mixed media art pieces, thus making Andy Warhol into the art.

7-Do you have motto on how to live life?  The motto I have adapted from my life now I’ve taken from Andy Warhol. When I asked him what his favorite hobby was he replied “Everything I do is a hobby,” that is what I live my life by.

8- What forthcoming projects do you have coming up?  Well its an exciting year for me creatively. Myron Johnson the Art curator for Port Authority called me up recently and invited me to install my ART in a few public locations at Port Authority in NYC.  This invite is based on a Lost Warhols show he curated in 2016 which was beautifully received.  The first install will involve my curation with an original image of Jean-Michel Basquiat.  For my own art (curated again by Mr. Johnson) I will install my Gold Queen – a strong female character developed and played me- making myself into the ART “THE GOLD QUEEN OF COMPASSION”,  photographed by Christiana Lucratif. I have clothed my Gold Queen in Keith Haring (painted) Art.  I will also be creating an interactive Crown Mural at PortAuthority. So it will be me as the contemporary artist paying homage to Warhol, Basquiat and Haring.  On September 14th an exciting LOST WARHOLS show opens at the ArtTrust Gallery in Lugano, Switzerland with two artists, Raul 33 and Serena Maisto interpreting my images of Andy.  In December I have been invited by Havana House to create a Che Rivera/ Fidel Castro playing card which we will premiere at their Gallery in Cuba.  Everything I do as Artist and Curator is inspired by my passion for Art, Inclusion and Social relevance with the goal to create beauty but as well inspire.

9-What influences you as an artist?  What influences me as an Artist are my own principals of pushing the boundaries of what is the acceptable norm and to inspire others to open their minds to creating new possibilities.

10-Do you have a place/person/thing that you visit for inspiration?  Downtown Los Angeles inspires me. I love the contrast between modern and old architecture. I love the NoMad Hotel and the building in which I reside which was an old bank. I appreciate how international and inclusive downtown Los Angeles is. Even the harsh reality of homeless people serves to keep it real and to inspire me to work hard and to create. In terms of a person I would have to say that my mother, Charlotte Ballard inspires me the most. I cherish our weekly conversations. Her sharp mind as well as her constant curiosity about life and knowledge of current events are so appreciated.

11-When you are not creating where would someone find you?  When I’m not creating you can more than likely find me at a coffee shop close by or by the pool or gym.

12-If a movie was to be made about your life, where would it ideally take place and who would be the actor playing your part?  Sharon Stone, Uma Thurman or perhaps Jennifer Lawrence and it would take place in New York City and Los Angeles.

13-How do you describe success as an artist?  My success as an artist has involved people reaching out to me to offer showcasing The Lost Warhols internationally. Last year I partnered with God’s Love We Deliver to put on the biggest show of my career. The showcase included my Warhol photographs as well as my Kings Art and collaborations with over 25 artists in a 4000 square-foot space in SoHo with Decal Art on the windows for passerby’s to see. That was a dream come to fruition. Later that year, I had a show in Dublin Ireland at a very chic department store, Brown Thomas. BT put my art and specifically chose to have my own pieces in their windows for 10 days. That was a dream manifest.

14-Name three things you can’t live without in your studio?  My Retna, Cleon Peterson and my Gold Queen and prints by Rembrandt and Abrecht Durer. My paintings , canvases and my vision black chalkboard walls on which I scribble my inspirations and ideas.

15-If you could have dinner with 3 artists living/dead who would be at your table?  Basquiat, Warhol, Rembrandt and Michelangelo. I realize this is four but I simply cannot chose.

16-How would someone find you on Social media?  @KarenBystedt and @TheLostWarhols