An Interview with Artist L. Lazer

Every month during the First Friday Art Walk in Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe we bring in an artist or maker for a pop-up! This month we’re featuring our good friend, artist L. Lazer. Ahead of his pop-up with us, we asked Lazer some questions about himself, his art, and sustainability. Enjoy!

When did you start making and selling art?
I've been making art of some sort for as long as I can remember. In 2013 I decided to take it seriously. That's when I really started to focus on developing a defined and consistent aesthetic, style, and approach. Also, I started pursuing clients the same year.

What inspires your work?
Other art is my main influence. Music, movies, stories and characters, animals and nature, medical science, anatomy, folklore...other visual artists, too. Illustrators like Virgil Finlay, Bernie Wrightson, and Jack Davis to name some of the masters who informed my process. But, I take most of my imagery from books, film, photography, and other methods of narrative storytelling. 

What does sustainability mean to you and how does your art reflect that belief?
Sustainability is a complicated subject to talk about. As an artist, a lot of my underlying commentary is about human ideals vs. cosmic chaos. But I try to not push an agenda one way or the other. If I did my job correctly, my work will hopefully evoke a bit of thought from the viewer. I'm speaking about concepts like good and evil, right and wrong, morality, and how so far as we can tell, these are all just ideas with preassigned values invented by humankind. These values are totally inapplicable to the rest of nature and the known universe at large. We expect empathetic behavior from the bottom of the ocean, to the raw surface of an asteroid. We are alone inside our egos..

Sustainability is a term which describes the balanced and reciprocal relationship between ecology, humanity, and the economy. By definition, we need sustainability to maintain modern consumerism. It is defined exclusively for human-centric benefit, which by practice always sacrifices the other to save the self.

As an artist I can not reconcile, nor pass judgement.

However, as a person who makes art, but also has to navigate the general public, pay bills, and stay healthy, I pay serious attention to things like affordability and access. I keep my supply list short, my waste production to a minimum, and I pay attention to the businesses I support and what their practices look like. Process of thought is to never support anything unless it supports the ecosystem in which it exists. 

I do my best, but I am far from perfect.

The best direct example of how I maintain sustainability within my community and artwork is through support for the people I make the stuff for in the first place. I help other artists create digestible multimedia, which is intended to entertain like-minded folks who are already here but also draw in the next wave of curious individuals. Bottom line, I have to be mindful and respectful when I accept a new client and ask for my fee at the end of a job. I take a lot of factors into consideration when quoting a price for a project. But, I maintain a consistent price point for certain "jobs" based on my skill set, over what I assume the client has to spend. 

Most importantly, I always have something affordable and on hand, so the broke kids can get in and become involved too. To quote the late and great James P. Konya:

"Fans before bands."

What is your goal as an artist?
Long term, my goal is my legacy. I want to keep working for as long as I can, and leave behind a bunch of cool stuff for future generations of dorks' entertainment. Right now, that means working with musicians, but someday that could change. My primary focus for a little while now has been to provide the visual elements that physical music media require. I like making album/poster/t-shirt art a lot, because sometimes I get to be a part of the idea development process that eventually forms the final publication. It's great, because nothing is ever perfect.

From start to finish, any idea will change and shift before it's ready. But, once something is published, it's out of the control of the creators, and now the fan gets to make the final judgement of quality. I get to see it all, and that makes me the luckiest boy in the world. My goal is to continue to be the luckiest boy in the world, forever.

If you were an animal/breakfast cereal/ice cream flavor/style of architecture what would you be?
What?!? Nope. Absolutely not.

Y'all want to ask me a question like that, please ask my publicist.

*For legal purposes, let it be known question #5 has been answered by Bernard Fuddle, Executive Assistant to the Public Relations Offices of Off The Couch Studio and The Electric Church, Inc.

I'd still just be me, L. Lazer.

Sitting here, petting my lap cat, and drawing dirty cartoons. Right here in the spider-infested basement of a Victorian mansion that I rent from a floating vapor apparition with nine eyes like black diamonds, and no feet... Her name is Ingrid, and she is easily the best landlord in Denver.

But, I suppose in a perfect world. I'd be doing the same, while simultaneously eating a Big Ed's ice cream sandwich that's been rolled in Cap'N Peanut Butter Crunch, served on top a hot pancake and surrounded with fried chicken thighs. One pitcher hot butter and syrup, and cold beer until they throw the switch.

What’s next for you? Are there any projects or goals you are currently working toward that you'd like to share about?
I have been working with a local musical act called Hexsiren for about two years now. Hexsiren is a one man powerhouse who operates under the pseudonym Blood Spring and never sleeps. So I'm basically always working on something to help describe his music. It's primarily Black Metal leaning, but is far too diverse to be pigeon-holed. Rest assured, the sound is heavy, Satanic, anti-populace, raw, heavy, abrasive, heavy, dark, heavy, and very beautiful. 

Keep an eye popped out and on the prowl for new stuff from City Records too. City Records are our newest positive addition to music resale/archiving/community in this area. They are located at 1331 E Colfax and deliver the goods. Records, movies, comics and graphic novels, toys and knick knacks... Please give them a visit. They know the score every day.

Also, this is a never before, maybe never again.... But, look out for the TORSO FREAK record, soon to be available as a joint effort between Headsplit Records and Nuclear Ass Records. It's a five song EP some buddies and myself wrote and recorded in my basement in 2015. I play bass and did about half the artwork for the release.

Represent. 

@hexsirenofficial @cityrecordscolfax @headsplitrecords @thecryptdenver @chainreactionrecords @waxtraxdenver @blackandreaddenver ......and me, @shark.fist666

Are there any artistic mediums you’d like to explore that you haven’t yet?
Performance.

Anything from live music, to competitive eating, to motorizing the Eiffel Tower and jumping it over six dozen school buses and a coin operated animatronic fortune teller. I want to do something that generates mass hysteria, but also nobody as a casual spectator gets hurt...

I have no idea what that could look like, or how to execute such a phenomenon.

Thanks for reading! If you’re interested in being one of our featured artists, send us an email. We’re always looking to expand our community and showcase the talent our city has to offer.

Until next time,
“Be excellent to each other”