Tina Vasquez
Pierre: How long have you been making things?
Tina:I've been making things forever! when I was a little kid I used to paper mache soda cans together in the shape of ugly blobs, glue some googly eyes on them, paint them and give them to my mom. as far as printing though I started that in high-school because my parents gave me a kit for Christmas when I was 14 or 15.
Have your parents always been supportive?
Yeah! Completely and totally! Their house is basically a shrine to me! They even have a bunch of wallpaper I made in their living room! they are cool with me doing whatever.
Like covering the whole room?
No, just half a wall, there is a molding in the center of the wall running horizontally, and the wallpaper is on the bottom part of the wall. The top part of the wall is painted to match a green that it is in the print.
Woah, that must look pretty awesome, is your place decorated like that too? Like your stuff accenting the place?
I like the way it looks, my place is a little more psycho than their house. The wallpaper I made them I specifically made to be not as loud as my usual tastes. My apartment has a whole lot of weird paper I glued onto the wall in geometric patterns. I am heavy into op art right now, as is the rest of the country, have you seen the cover of the new Art Forum?
No I haven't yet, whats on it?
That famous piece, I forgot what the name of the woman who did it is, but its a huge circle and it looks like a vortex. Damn it I can't find it, I just bought it too and can't find it, this is going to drive me crazy. I think I left it in my bike basket. The whole issue is about op art. Also I recently saw a article in Elle decor about making an op art decorated home. It looked amazing. 
Do you bike a lot?
Yes I do! This has been a really mild summer in Texas, its kind of crazy, normally no way would I be doing it this time of year but it rains all the time and everything is green and in bloom. I can't resist riding down big hills and smelling everything. Also we have a lot of fire flies so riding at night is also awesome. Actually the other day I swear a lighting bug was flickering in time to the song I was listening to, that fire fly was into Mama Cass too!
Who isn't! What kind of music gets you ready to draw or print?
Well when I am printing I like to be pumped. Lately I have been doing a lot of high volume projects, so I have to keep up my stamina since I do everything manually. A lot of rap music for printing. Have you heard that UGK song, International Players Anthem(I Choose You), featuring Outkast?
Not yet, I'm totally out of the loop. What is your dream project? Who would it be for?
My dream project would be probably having a line of nationally distributed school supplies. Is Lisa Frank a real person? I would want to work with her! Her new stuff is not cutting it though. She puts these slutty Bratz looking dolls on folders now.
Like all the ponies and unicorn stuff?
No, its more like holographic rainbow tigers with angel wings.
I think that would totally rule!
I remember having this folder when I was younger. It was a Lisa Frank folder Anyways, it had like a hamburger, and soda, and french fries, and pizza, all floating in this weird outer space where the planets had rainbow rings around them. It was the best folder ever. I think I still have it somewhere.
What else besides folders inspires you?
Vintage books, children's drawings, playgrounds, hair-dos, toys, baby animals, and my friends!
I think Deforge is going to curate a bunch of vintage kids book posts on the blog, I'm really excited to see them
Dude, tell him I want to participate!! I have an insane collection of children's books. I live down the street from this psycho warehouse thrift store and you have to dig through these huge bins full of broken glass and pointy things and the books are like 35 cents but you seriously find REAL treasure there. I found all these vintage golden books in perfect condition and a bunch of little readers from the 1950s with really simple but cute line drawings in 2 colors. I used to be in child-craft stuff a whole lot but I realized everyone and their mom is using those books for reference. I am over child-craft. Although I am not going to lie the illustrations in those books are tops.
You should totally scan a bunch of them and I'll post them up there.
Okay! I will!
Do you have any superstitions?
You mean like in my personal life or having to do with projects?
Either or!
Yeah but they are kind of little things. Like I have to use the same pencil/pen to finish a project that I started with. Or I have to wear socks and taking off my shoes to really draw the right way. Before I go on a long bike ride I have to ask my grandma to make sure I don't get hit by a car (a lot of my friends have had some serious road rash from getting bumped).
What have you been working on these days? I haven't really seen that much of your new work besides that book.
Yeah its for this fancy organic furniture store, they sell like $10,000 couches and stuff. Its kind of insane, but all the furniture is beautiful though. Uma Thurman just bought a couch from them.
Whats the name of the store?
Its called Wildflower Organics. They sell a lot of stuff by people admire, namely Jonathan Adler. I am so into him lately and his whole life really. I even love his husband Simon Doonan, who is the creative director for Barney's New York and does the most insane window dressings I have ever seen. He did this crazy Andy Warhol display I just cant get over I don't even like Warhol all that much either. Simon started out doing small little stores in London and LA and eventually made his way to New York. that is kind of where I think my career is going. I love displays and dioramas. Another dream of mine is to work at a natural history museum and arrange the animals.
That would be so nice!
I am working on some print jobs too right now, but I signed this confidentiality agreement because its for this huge clothing store, but you should be seeing that stuff soon too!
Any parting words?
Yes, school is for suckers.
3 comments:
sup teenz
pretty pieces
it IS for suckers!
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