In Conversation with Evi. O & David Esquivel

In advance of their two-person show to be held concurrently at Uprise Art and Saint Cloche in 2023, artists Evi O. and David Esquivel chat about creativity, silence, and being two astronauts who met floating around in the infinity of the internet.

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Evi: Hi David. How are you today?

David: Hello Evi. I just ordered McDonald's so I'm feeling good. How are you?

Evi: Not so bad. I’m doing computer work today. What’s keeping your mind interested at the moment? Isn’t that what being an artist is about? The privilege of exploring things and manifesting them through our creativity? Sorry, I feel like I’m so consumed with creativity, hence work, at the moment. David, I’m addicted.

David: I understand! Especially the way your mind works. I've always thought of myself as not being creative actually. Nothing is going on in my head artistically most of the time. Only when I'm painting, only when my brush is touching the canvas is when ideas come to me. I just made a bunch of artwork for the Art on Paper last month. So, my mind is currently consumed with getting back to making a bunch of artwork for no reason other than experimenting and trying to speak better through them. Because I've been painting in this style for six years now, these works are coming out in a way that focuses on this style's journey rather than what I feel. My own personal feelings almost have nothing to do with it in a weird way.

Evi: Whilst I work the opposite way. Must be the graphic designer in me! But you haven’t answered my question, what’s keeping your mind interested at the moment?

David: I realized I rambled without answering and tried to squeeze one in at the end. My mind is interested in silence right now. The silence after so much noise, and before it.

Evi: Elaborate, please. Starting with the noise, what’s been noisy on your end?

David: Everything has been noisy. The world, me, my mind. I tend to think through paintings in terms of sound. Where things are and the color I choose for them influences what a piece feels like and sounds like. Now I'm sounding like a true maniac describing this.

Evi: Would the new studio help with building up silence? I’ve been enjoying what you’re seeing from the new studio. Jealous of the amount of space you have, too.

David: I told you you are more than welcome to come share the space! I've always been jealous of your space and how professional it looks! My studio feels like I'm a squatter in there right now. But yes, to answer your question, the biggest benefit of the studio so far has been the silence. And not even real-world silence, it's on the main street of this small town and there is a lot of traffic noise going by. But that doesn't count for some reason. I feel so peaceful and quiet there within the walls - the only noise from within is my own. Now let me ask you the same question, what's keeping your mind interested at the moment?

Evi: I have been in nature a lot in the past two months (to be exact, in the Victoria region of Australia) and my mind has been electrified being reminded that I have been so removed from the planet and all the living organisms that live on it. As in, I’m a born and bred city human. The first time I climbed a tree was in my late 20s. The whole past two months have put a lot of things in context and perspective, and I feel grounded as well as restless at the same time. Grounded as walking in nature transcends me to a peaceful state, but then restless as the process also creates a lot of fresh ideas and curious thoughts. If I sound all over the place, I feel like I am in my head, forget about being grounded.

David: You don't sound all over the place at all! Sounds like your mind is in a big wide open space. Everywhere at once. The freedom nature gives you in that regard is great. The sky is your limit, and even then you could always go to space. I find that's something we miss being in cities. Even just looking at treetops can feel like a whole new world is opened up. Would you say you're grounded in the expanse of human existence or experience?

Evi: I’d say existence more than experience. There’s always more on the latter, right? Funny you say we could always go to space. I feel like we both met in space. As in, we’ve never met in person, yet how many years have we continually chatted on a sporadic basis? Yet, I feel like you probably know a lot more about me than most that live in my physical world. But not in a superior-like vibe. I am constantly amazed by how nuts we are as humans, and that one of the biggest purposes of technological advancement is to connect our minds, more and more. Anything to say on “connections”?

David: We did kind of meet as astronauts. Floating by in the infinity of the internet. There is something special about these connections we find. Ones that span the world, with people we have a unique, immediately comfortable bond with. It's been a huge pleasure being your friend. I think there is a part of everything humanity has done that has been to find better ways to connect with each other. Better ways to understand each other. It's something that is so important. Us painting is trying to find better ways to connect. It is us speaking our own personal language, hoping to find others who understand it.

Last updated October 24, 2022