Sickid spoke to Coeval all about his artistic practice which has evolved since he was a kid. You can see Sickid’s cartoon and comic book inspirations within his work which he has developed on throughout his career. Sickid’s work tends to sit in public places, such as on billboards or walls. He enjoys making a statement with his work, as it is usually created on a large scale using bright colours and vivid imagery. Read on to hear from Sickid himself as he describes his own creatively kooky universe.

What initiated your passion for art?

I’ve been drawing and making stuff since I was a kid and I guess it was just the freedom to express in every which way I wanted without filter. I was heavily inspired by cartoons I would watch and read whatever comic books that were lying around from my older brother. I always wanted to capture the energy that I was feeding off; through making things I always felt like I was entertaining myself and never felt bored. One of the only interests that stuck and in high school was finding artists I liked. I went to a performing/visual arts high school in LA, and they encouraged me to paint/draw more and broaden my horizons a bit and it just snowballed from there.

Describe the style of your work in three words?

Detailed, Cartoonish, kinda-sad-and-kind-of-funny.

Your pieces tend to incorporate multiple characters that have similar styles to them - where did this aesthetic develop from?

I think it truly stems from graffiti. I never really was much of a poet, my writing on paper is terrible, I like cursive. I always knew that so when I got into my early adolescence, I wanted to do it just on some kid shit, but I never felt like I could make my letters look beautiful or unique. So, I just naturally relied on a figurative style while doing graffiti and that to me was a lot more recognisable to people who are and aren’t in graffiti. In the early years I just did this one rat fink style character and as I grew, I just drew whatever characters/scenarios that came to mind, and it led to a practice that was more recognisable by style than the repetition of one character. It just bled into my paintings. I was just so tired of doing the same thing perpetually that I needed something that would make it fresh and fun for me.

It is clear you must draw inspiration from a wide range of things, but how do you go about finding these inspirations?

I feel like it just developed from all the stuff I would take in and how I naturally just am. I wanted to draw like movies I saw, such as Ninja Scroll (1993) or Wizards (1977). I liked the visuals of video games I would play like Jet Set Radio and GTA Vice City. I would want to paint graffiti like people did in the San Francisco area in the 90s and it blew my mind that a lot of those people were making studio work too. My environment kinda shaped me too, I grew up in LA and in my teens, I fell in love with the aesthetics of my area. Things such as hand painted signs, religious folk murals, graffiti, googie architecture, iron barred windows and big orange busses. They were things all in front of me, but I later learned to appreciate. That and my desire to create worlds and imagery that reflect my moods helped me understand more about myself and enjoy myself more. All these things kind of morphed me into what I am and what I make, and I try to stay true to the feeling that made me want to create and try to stay away from anything that might make things cloudy for me.

A lot of your work is done on a large scale and in public places, why does this way of working appeal to you?

I think that I’m so drawn to it because for me when I see a thing that someone made on the street, good or bad, friend or not my friend, it makes getting from point a to point b a lot more interesting and it stimulates me in a way that makes going out more entertaining. Looking at things on my phone will never compare to running into things in real life. That sounds a little pretentious but it’s true. I also like my phone too though. It’s just the accessibility of it, it feels fun to go out and paint so my friends can see it or someone who can relate can see it. There’s something about it that feels raw and pure. I just feel like there needs to be more things out there that are accessible without having to pay or have insider knowledge.

How do people tend to respond to your work that sits in public places?

People have come up to me in a variety of ways. Initially I just did it to express my teen angst, whether that be with a “fuck you” or a dick on the wall. But now I just do what comes to mind, as weird or as stale as it comes out either way it’s coming out. When people thank me for doing things, I feel kinda weird, I’m not very good at taking compliments. Although I feel appreciative that someone can relate to my work in some way. That’s what I think gave me a bit more confidence in myself and in my art or at least shushes the second thoughts in my head that say “you’re not very good at this, none of that makes sense. No one is going to get it.”

Talk us through a piece that you have created which challenged you as an artist?

As a person I feel like the billboards I sometimes paint really push me out of my comfort zone. I fear heights and there’s such potential for mishap to happen but I kind of force myself sometimes just because I feel like it’s an expansion of my world. I love campy billboard like the ones in Las Vegas, so I want to create something that’s like that with my animated take on it. I’ve definitely hyperventilated up there, slipped, had close calls with cops, but I think this makes me trust myself more and makes me feel like I’m a bit more able. A piece indoor, some of the pieces with spray paint or found objects. I often second guess myself with pieces that seem too avant-garde, but its ultimately the goal with a lot of piece is to challenge the artificial rules of art. I have to be me when I’m making stuff, I have to ignore the notions of it being kitschy, or not palatable enough, or too outsider arty, or even the expectation of it having to be good. If I let those things consume me, I feel like It will feed into my anxiety and make me lose the plot, so I’ll continue to ignore those things and express filterless-ly to make myself happy. Dealing with things on the street where I can potentially die and have made it out definitely helps me with this fear of making stuff, I tell myself that it’s just paint and surface and there’s zero chance of injury.

What are you currently working on which we can look out for in the upcoming months?

Yeah, just going to keep painting on the street, travel a bit more now that more things are open. I for sure feel cabin fever from 2020. I am going to be in a couple group shows through 2022 and just try and challenge myself more with paintings and possibilities. Also, to have fun with those things. Trying not to get pinched.