From Swastikas and Graffiti to Graphic Design

I became a graphic designer with my very first social commentary using public space. The place – the boy’s restroom – of course wasn’t very public, and the commentary – a U.S. flag with a swastika in place of the 50 stars – wasn’t very social. I have to admit that getting both teachers and students talking about the drawings I was making of this flag all over school both scared me and fascinated me. I didn’t want to get in trouble so I stopped, but the talk about them continued all year long.

The idea for the symbol was fueled in my head by movies like No Retreat, No Surrender, Red Dawn, and Rocky IV that depicted the Russians as the villains of the story and the good ol’ US of A folks as the heroes. By now you might be inclined to ask “what does a swastika have to do with Russia?” Well nothing of course, but to a first generation Mexican kid, who didn’t speak very much English and understood less than he spoke, Russia and swastikas went hand in hand – don’t argue, it made sense to me in 6th grade — yes you read that right, it was 6th grade when I first realized that there was a lot more going on in the public space around me that I had’t noticed before.

One day on my way home from school, I noticed scribbling on the window of the bus. I had no idea what it said, but I was so attracted by the strokes and curves; some were thin and folded into themselves and others gradually expanded from thin to thick and then to thin again. It was out of place, it didn’t belong in the window of a bus and I loved it!The following school year – 7th grade – I learned that the culprits of those scribbles were two of my sisters close friends; Charlie and Flavio, two graffiti artists that went by the names of Rave and Sake – incidentally this is what the scribbles on the bus spelled out.

I don’t need to get into details about how I picked up the “craft”. It is sufficient enough to say that I spent countless hours practicing my name, I loved writing it over and over again just to look at the letters come together, if you think that is weird, well it is, but you should read what some folks have to say about letters.

So I pursued my love for letters as a graffiti artist for several years and after a 10 year detour through music, customer service and missionary work, I am back on track – I think. I started painting again about a year ago, but with wedding preparations and work I have not painted in many months. Still I keep my nice stash of paint in the closet.