Posts Tagged ‘ Jason Graham ’

Each and I did a number of smaller art collaborations (available in the Hungry Eyeball Art Gallery) and one big one throughout the summer. A lot was happening at the time; My partner Chelsea was in the final trimester and gave birth to our new daughter Birdie and Eatcho’s grandmother passed. I have to say, I admire Eatcho’s work and I’m constantly amazed at what Eatcho sets out to do and I’m even more amazed when I see the outcome. Today at noon, I walked down to where he and Jason Graham were painting a double decker bus that the good folks at the Grilled Cheese Grill commissioned them to paint. This is a piece of our conversation.

Tripper Dungan: Alright Eatcho Mehran.. What’s your last name?

Eatcho: Shaggins.

That’s right, Rilbo Shaggins. Bilbo Bloggins.

That was my original name the geneticist that developed me was Irish.

(Laughs)

He wanted to make something amazing so, that’s what happened.

He did a damn good job.

An amazing yet modest witch blew up the lab during my conception and he’s dead now. He’s like a modern day Harry Potter.

Can I call you harry Jr?

Wow. So how are you doing tripper?

I’m doing well, hanging out in the sunshine, watching you paint this beautiful bus. So when is this scheduled for flight?

This bus is due to be open to the public October 31st (2010).

Cool

On Halloween day.

Perfect. I think Birdie is going to be a boxing Nun for Halloween.

You can have her on one hand. Like a ventriloquist… I hesitate to use the word dummy.

Well, you know she hasn’t gone to school yet… So I really had fun painting with you and getting to know you and doing collaborations. It’s always neat to work with someone who has such a different style and yet have some similarities and just go for it.

I had fun painting with you as well and I want to keep up the habit of working with artists I am a fan of and appreciate and admire, such as yourself, but I also noticed my work has a selfish quality to it. Always when I’m working with another artist, I reflect on my work and what I’m doing and looking at someone else and seeing how they approach the same thing ultimately making art, but everyone has a different approach. So you get a more worldly view when doing your trade along with someone else, and you get to learn some tricks along the way. It’s like going to school without having to pay so much for it. In my old studio back in Fresno, it felt just like that; it felt more like a school than just a bunch of guys sitting around painting and drinking beer.

Yea. I think it’s important to pick your head up now and again and see what else is going on around you in the art world and be making art at the same time.

That always makes me comfortable with the notion of traveling, that wherever I go I can find an artist community and it’s like being at home again. I’m not saying that all artists get along and want to be friends, there’s so many personality traits but that there’s a kindred spirit and an empathy for each other and of  knowing why each one is driven to do what they do.

A couple things happened when we were making those pieces together. Both of us were busy with different aspects of our lives; Birdie was born and that was really amazing and interesting and you sent your grandma off.

Yea, my grandmother passed away the same time you had a kid and it was hard to keep a lot of focus on the show and the process. What was humbling was even throughout that process, which shows us who we are, when I stood at the funeral…

(At this point the tape cut out and Eatcho said something beautiful. I think this is what he was saying:)

… I remember feeling my grandmother’s praise when I was a little boy and she would tell me my drawings were good and I feel you will do that with your daughter and encourage her throughout her life.