As we get ready for Andrew Hem's solo exhibition at the gallery, our neighbor blog "Erratic Phenomena" has run another in depth interview with the artist. Here is an excerpt:
"Andrew was still at work finishing up a few sculptures for the exhibit when he sat down to tell me a bit about where he's coming from right now.
Erratic Phenomena: In our last interview, you said, "I love creating worlds that do not exist. A world where people don't care about others' appearance, and nobody has to worry about fitting in or being an outcast. Where everyone is accepted... I've experienced and witnessed too many times where people are disgusted with the different." Growing up as one of the few Asians in a Hispanic Los Angeles neighborhood was not a particularly pleasant experience for you, and you didn't really find acceptance there until you began to paint graffiti in high school. Is this dream of a world without bias an idea you've contemplated all your life? Do you make a conscious effort to draw attention to our ingrained xenophobia in your work?
Andrew Hem: I just enjoy seeing different cultures in one image. Every time I'm in LAX, I spend extra time looking around in the international section. That's the only place I know where you have so many races in one place. For some strange reason, I enjoy being there. Maybe it's because everybody's so busy trying to catch a plane that they don't really pay attention to their surroundings. You could find any ethnicity at any time at LAX, and nobody looks twice. I just want to transfer that feeling into my work."
Read the full interview at: commandax.blogspot.com
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