“I think that’s one of the most beautiful exercises of art and often one of the most pleasant and pleasurable things when you think about an idea and you work to make it a reality.”
-Brandon Vargas
Welcome to this episode of the Turmeric & Tequila Podcast with your host, Kristen Olson. Today, we’re excited to bring you a conversation with Brandon Vargas, a dynamic artist from Colorado. Known for their unique blend of archery and abstract art, Brandon graduated with a BFA from CU Denver and has been deeply immersed in the arts from a young age. Brandon discusses their experiences growing up in the culturally rich environment of Colorado’s Latino community and shares insights into their creative process, guided by intuitive feelings and serendipitous moments. We explore Brandon’s role with Meow Wolf and their efforts to promote local artists and make art more accessible. Tune in for an inspiring discussion on creativity, representation, and the importance of community in fostering artistic growth. Whether you’re an artist or someone seeking inspiration, this episode offers valuable insights into embracing your unique path. Join us as we delve into the art world with Brandon Vargas on Turmeric & Tequila!
Time Stamps:
00:00 Denver’s Vibrant Culture Misunderstood
05:40 Preserving Colorado’s Latino Heritage
15:18 Middle School Art Struggles
17:27 Artistic Obsession Through Skill Development
22:39 Teen’s Journey: Learning via Bus Rides
29:05 “Guided by Intuition to Friends”
34:33 Embracing Spontaneity Over Plans
38:55 Dream Friends and Regrets
47:40 Creative Motivation: Self, Spite, and Growth
51:09 Pathways to Creative Careers
58:23 Supporting Digital Artists in Denver
59:10 Expanding Art Accessibility & Education
Brandon Vargas:
Brandon Vargas was born and raised in Colorado and received his BFA in Fine Art from CU Denver in 2018. They have been involved in the arts from a young age, volunteering, showing work and working in arts administration since they were a teenager. Brandon’s work utilizes folkloric motifs of animals to reflect paradigms of human behavior. Incorporating deliberately mixed rendering styles and use a mix of traditional rendering contrasted with naive mark making, they aim to create visual asymmetry to question the assumptions and frameworks of values stemming from our natural and artificial environments. By utilizing animals and imagery of natural environments as archetypal representations, they seek to challenge the varying relationships humans have with nature, and with each other. Utilizing assumed hierarchies to subvert expectations of the natural world to reflect human alien artificiality within the natural world to the viewer, Brandon calls those expectations into question and seek to understand the assumptions and boundaries of societal living. Growing up with archery, Brandon utilize traditional art making materials and incorporates an archery practice into their work. Contrasting the abstract representations of folklore with something so deliberate and piercing as an arrow creates a stark contrast of the natural and artificial, further investigating the artificial boundary between human society and the natural world in the pursuit of creating an empathetic link to each other and nature.
Personal Website Link: https://rebirah.art/
Instagram: @Rebirah.Art
La Serra Collective: https://laserracollective.org/
Denver Digerati: https://denverdigerati.org/
Connect with T&T:
IG: @TurmericTequila
Facebook: @TurmericAndTequila
Website: www.TurmericAndTequila.com
Host: Kristen Olson
IG: @Madonnashero
Tik Tok: @Madonnashero
Website: www.KOAlliance.com
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https://youtu.be/9Vs2JDzJJXk?si=dpjV31GDqTroUKWH
Key words:
Turmeric and Tequila, Kristen Olson, Colorado family, Lux Neuro neurofeedback, Declan James watches, Brandon Vargas, art, Denver, community, culture, Latino heritage, archery, folklore, society, natural world, arts administration, childhood, drawing, education, career, fine arts, illustration, creative path, Redline Gallery, Meow Wolf, artistic practice, volunteer, entrepreneurship, digital media, representation, accessibility, community involvement.