Jul 29, 2013 8 Questions With: Benjamin Escobar
I had the pleasure of getting to know Benjamin Escobar, better known as Benjie, while we both worked at LA-based streetwear mega-brand, The Hundreds (very briefly, for my part, and much more long-term on Benjie’s part). Indeed, he was the Senior Designer there for six years. During that time, he was responsible for producing more award-winning, best-selling graphics than anyone could possibly poke a stick at. On top of that, he art directed famous guest illustrators, laid out catalogs, invented new kinds of camouflage, painted murals, and completed many other impressive artful endeavors. And all the while, he was developing his personal art, partaking in art exhibitions, conceptualizing and curating group shows with like-minded artists, producing ‘zines, inventing his own brands, and generally going big on Tumblr. His food-inspired art, which often adorns tees, stickers, bandanas, and poster prints, is said to be hotly traded on grey markets in various unsavory corners of the planet. At least, that’s what I always tell people, anyway. Right now, he’s in the midst of transitioning into a new role, which combines a lot of art and design, a lot of freelance, some production, a little curation, and much more. His level of creative output is nothing short of inspiring, so it’s a treat that he could find the time to answer some questions about what he’s up to at the moment.
What are you currently working on?
At this exact moment, I’m preparing paint to work on the “glider series” art show for Benny Gold (San Francisco), while getting together inspiration for a client’s T-shirt line, and trying to visualize the outline of a ‘zine I’d like to publish in the next 2 weeks. I’m a bit of a multi-tasker.
How would you describe your job?
Graphic design-wise: I help people communicate ideas. Whether it’s a disgusted eye-roll or a quick chuckle, I try to help clients come up with something that helps get their message across, while being visually attractive. Artist-wise: ……job?
What does your average work day look like?
Imagine you’re in the middle of a tornado. Now imagine instead of houses and debris flying around you, it’s Post-It notes, scribbles on the backs of receipts, sketches, and emails, but somehow you’ve managed to keep your smart phone in your hand. Ok, thats a bit dramatic, but being a freelance designer, a very big part of my day is organization. I’m still getting the hang of non-design daily operations, but so far I’ve managed to get that tornado down to a nice breeze (smartphone still in hand, I gotta work on that).
The rest of the time, I can focus on what got me here in the 1st place, design. Average day in that sense would be a lot of sketching, finalizing art, and constantly thinking of new ideas. All the fun (to me) stuff.
Where do you find inspiration?
The short answer would be “new things”. By that I mean meeting a new person, stumbling onto some old merchandise I never knew existed, visiting a new place. Basically, breaking routine, even if it’s ever-so-slightly.
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grow up?
A dinosaur. I caught on pretty quick that wasn’t happening and adjusted course to something artistic, though.
What are you reading at the moment?
Post-Digital Print – The Mutation of Publishing Since 1894 by Alessandro Ludovico. A good read on print media throughout the years.
What’s the best thing about living and work in LA?
The ease of transportation, space, and the food. Oh my, the food.
What’s your favorite post-work destination?
There’s a post-work?
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