Marcel ‘Sel’ Blanco is a Los Angeles based artist that came up through the LA Graffiti scene as one of the key members of the seminal WCA Crew. He also has the distinction of having the first FATHOM show canceled by the Pandemic. The week of his opening in our Brentwood gallery, Los Angeles went into lockdown and Punk Rock Zen, his first solo show was put on ice.
The collection of images from the exhibition are a deeply personal exploration by the artist and because I sat with them through the surreal quiet of the lock down, I developed my own deep connection to the paintings. We recently caught up to discuss some of the work and SEL’s artistic journey.
FATHOM: OK let’s jump in. The name Punk Rock Zen, where did that come from?
SEL: It just came to me. Punk rock was a big influence on my life. I got into it in the 80’s and something about it really grabbed me. Until that point I was a shy, quiet kid who loved music. And, when I heard punk rock for the first time, this explosive energy affected me. It really caught my attention and the whole idea of it of — not following the rules and being your own person, on your own. Do it yourself and make things happen. That resonated. It stuck with me, and I don't think punk rock is just the fashion, just the look. It's it's an attitude and a way to live - it’s that kind of thing.
FATHOM: Then the Zen part, those are two things I don’t normally attach to each other?
SEL: So the Zen side just came. I've always been curious about life philosophies, spirituality, and in exploring that, in finding Buddhism and looking deeper, it’s also about being responsible, responsible for yourself, taking care of yourself and your own actions, which is kind of what punk rock was saying. So I was thinking that's interesting. These are completely opposite philosophies, yet share the same idea. And that also stuck with me. Then one day the name Punk Rock Zen just came to me and I liked the way it rolled off my tongue. And the name itself is a Ying and Yang. The aggression and angst of punk and the calm and serenity of Zen.
FATHOM: When we first started talking about your exhibition, I came away with the feeling that each of the pieces was in some sense a self portrait, that you were different aspects of yourself, is that part of the Ying Yang, an inner conflict that comes through the work?
SEL: I think so. The work's very introspective. Which I think nails me pretty good. I'm always looking in, always exploring how I work, how my brain works. In a way each of the paintings is definitely part of me, different aspects.
FATHOM: OK tell us about ‘Find Your Own Truth’ and how it fits into the Punk Rock Zen collection.
Find Your Own Truth | Acrylic and spray paint on wood panel, (42x48)
SEL: Well, he's a guy looking out over Los Angeles. The birds, the reoccurring theme in my work and he has a sense of wonder — where things are going, what's going on. The birds kind of represent the different thoughts and
FATHOM: So, find your truth is kind of literal to what the character is thinking in this piece.
SEL: Yeah on this piece, A lot of my work is very narrative, but I like hearing what other people think. And I don't think that's what it means to me has to, or should, mean the same to a viewer. Sometimes I don't even have a conscious thought of the meaning when I'm creating a piece. And then after the fact I look at it, I'm like, oh, check that out.
FATHOM: Another interesting aspect of this piece is the color palette. It’s brighter, more electric than many of the other pieces in the exhibition. Is it more hopeful, is that the right label to put on it?
SEL: I just like bright colors, I try to find good contrasts and when I do, I’m in. Sometimes colors come together that spark off and play off each other. But it wasn't a conscious thought. A lot of times I'll start the painting and I'll take pictures of it and drop it in my iPad. Maybe I'll cut out certain sections and play with colors on that section, in this case the guy. It's a quicker way to play with the color and see what looks good together, when it feels right, that's where I go with the color.
FATHOM: OK now let's talk about ‘The Seeker’ — the theme is related to ‘Find Your Own Truth’ but the tone is 180?
The Seeker | Acrylic and spray paint on wood panel (48x24")
SEL: He's obviously in the dark and I think the way I perceive it, he is someone, probably me, rolling along, walking around in the dark for a long time, looking for that light. And finally looks up, not in necessarily a godsend or something, It was in the one place he didn't look and he finally saw it.
FATHOM: Then ‘See Your Self’ is from a different perspective or part of a continuing narrative?
See Yourself | Acrylic and spray paint on wood panel (66x42)
SEL: All part of a bigger picture. The Falcon represents spiritual growth, freedom, and it's the guy for the first time recognizing who it truly is and seeing that he is free.
FATHOM: The influences we’re seeing and talking about include, punk rock, Buddhism and graffiti, what was the order those things came into you life?
SEL: So punk rock then graffiti, martial arts and Buddhist philosophy. I think Punk rock was the first thing that I really found by myself. I discovered rock through a cousin who started turning me on to Van Halen and classic Rock, which I loved. But then a friend played punk rock for me and he was like, whoa; Black Flag was the 1st.
FATHOM: But at some point the philosophical side must have become more dominate, it seems like the spiritual journey is big part of what underpins the collection.
SEL: I think it's just self exploration, after I finished these paintings I started researching the fact that I’m dyslexic and have ADHD. When I painted these, I wasn't aware of that. I knew how my life was, that my brain worked a little bit different. And now looking back after I got the diagnosis, I realized how much of my work has always been about exploring and looking for something. I always was trying to figure out what was going on with me. And when I finally got that diagnosis, it was like the light came on and my whole life made sense.
FATHOM: Wow, you’ve always seemed so mellow, zen like.
SEL: Well, a lot of people say it's misnamed. Some people have the hyperactivity physically, others mentally.
FATHOM: So is your brain going boom boom, boom, bouncing around at high speed?
SEL: Yeah, and it's very hard to keep focused and calm. Then I can go for hours, which is the hyper focus. Best description is like there's constantly 5 or 6 dialogues going in my head. One of them's loudest and that's the one I'm following. But they can jump. So it can be challenging at times but it's interesting and I thought that's just how people were. And then I realized. No, not everybody's brain works that way.
FATHOM: I've heard a lot of artists talk about when they're painting it's almost like their hands being directed from somewhere, they can’t explain it. Do you have that sense, like you get in a zone?
SEL: Yeah, absolutely.
FATHOM: Does the frequency hopping that’s going on in your mind…
SEL: Yeah. Does that get in the way? Absolutely. It does. I was fortunate enough at a young age, to discover a solution to staying focused.
I used to play soccer and I got obsessed with it. I was about nine years old when I started, I was always real timid. And then I got my first goal and that feeling was like, wow, this is amazing. It was the last game of the season when I scored. And then it was summer.
We had summer off, so I went home and I practiced every day. I was kicking the ball against the garage door, the garage wall, and I knocked a hole in it. My dad was saying “I appreciate the dedication, but you're just destroying the garage” (laughs). He ended up putting plywood up. And I got really good at it. So good that I didn't have to think about it. It felt like it was coming through me.
It was almost flawless, my body and my brain were connected and I just moved and it was really an amazing feeling. I then got into music and I experienced the same thing when I played. I've experienced that feeling doing a number of different things. But, you’ve got to really practice a lot to get there, but I experienced moments in many different things and it's always an amazing feeling.
FATHOM: I've always associated musicians as being mathematical, keeping time. But I’ve also know a lot of musicians who can draw, do you feel like those things are connected?
SEL: Very much. I think creative people are creative and there's any number of things that overlap. I think if they can connect that part and just get out of your way and let it come through you — you got to practice enough to get there. But, if you do, you can do anything, pretty much.
FATHOM: OK let’s get back to some of the art. ‘Release Yourself.’ You told me at one point, it was partly about finding your feminine side.
Release Yourself | Acrylic and spray paint on wood panel (66x42")
SEL: Yes - Kind of being at peace with it, I think, it’s a little bit about getting older I was always really shy, really sensitive. Part of the punk rock thing toughened me up a bit. And the circle I was in there were a lot of tough guys and I was around borderline gangs and got into that world, got into a lot of street fights. So really, that kind of stuff, that's part of me. You know, “don't be a pussy, don't cry,” all that.
As I've gotten older though, I've kind of embraced that there's no need to be this tough guy or to put this pretense on. I’ve always been sensitive and I cry fairly easy, and now I'm all right with it. The vulnerability side is OK, you know?
FATHOM: Birds are a recurring element, but the birds take on different roles, they represent different things in different paintings. So in this one, what’s our bird doing?
SEL: I think it’s similar to ‘See Yourself’ when he's seeing himself for the first time. In this one I'm releasing the feminine part of myself and allowing it to fly.
FATHOM: Child Mind. Tell us about this piece.
Child Mind | Acrylic and spray paint on wood panel (66x42")
SEL: The child mind is something I learned about in martial arts - the idea of keeping your mind like a child, so nothing gets in the way of your learning. Just keep an open mind, keep it free, don't have any preconceived ideas of anything. And the kid here, with the bird circling again, is all the different possibilities, all the different things that can happen.
FATHOM: There's also the circle, in this piece, like a Halo. These circles appear in many of your pieces, what is significance of the circle?
SEL: The circle in the paintings represent the Zen circle and this idea of harmony, unifying always the circle, always moving, always going. There's no beginning, there's no end.
FATHOM: OK, one other thing about this piece, that bright, neon orange is back in this piece, I wonder if there's any connection between the two pieces for you?
SEL: Not consciously. I love that bright orange color. Yeah. And I like strong contrasts in my colors. One thing that drove me to graffiti art was the bright colors and I still look at the combination of colors that graffiti artists use and I think it's really unique and different from other art forms. So I often times look at graffiti for inspiration. Something those unique color combinations comes from having a limited supply of cans and you got to work with what you got and make it work.
FATHOM: If any of the pieces have a connection to martial arts, this next one ‘Meditative Rage’ is clearly tied to the discipline.
Meditative Rage | Acrylic and spray paint on wood panel (36x36”)
SEL: The hand over the fist comes from Chinese Martial Arts, it’s controlling the fist. As I understand it, you're not going to use the violence. You've got it under control. So the piece is about containing anger. Don't let it get the best of you. I think of the many years that I've held on to a lot of anger and finally made peace with it. I enjoy meditation. I practice it and this piece is about meditation and gaining control of yourself.
FATHOM: And from here we go to the ‘Shuni’ painting.
Shuni | Acrylic and spray paint on wood panel (36x36”)
SEL: This one was fun. I always like drawing women and painting women. It's always been a pleasant subject for me. And the hand gestures are different mudras from Hindu.
FATHOM: Are the hands, is someone behind her?
SEL: Are they or are they not? You know, some of the goddesses have different hands. That's where the inspiration came, and I wanted to hint at it without making it obvious. The hand gesture encourage compassion, understanding and patience towards others.
FATHOM: Nice. Needed now more than ever.
Stay tuned for part two of The FATHOM SEL Interview with a little bit of LA Graffiti history and a deeper dive into SEL’s artistic process and other pieces from the Punk Rock Zen Exhibition.
Marcel ‘Sel Blanco lives and works in Los Angeles. He is currently writing and illustrating a graphic novel.
Selections from Punk Rock Zen Collection are available right here on FATHOM.
How great is that.