DYLAN REY VASQUEZ

Paint for Dylan

With his shades on, shadow shave, and worn tank exposing the tattoo on his chest it seems as if he had been wandering for a moment, or partying. 

At about one thirty in the afternoon, I decided to meet up with Dylan in Pershing Square, Downtown, during Farmers Market.  I wasn’t able to find Dylan initially, so I walked around Pershing Square.  All of the people, all of the food, colors, and smells.  There was so much to see, so much to eat, and always something new to discover.  Frantically looking around and calling Dylan, I finally received a call.  “Yo man, what’s up! …Meet me at Seventh and Olive.” 

After going in the wrong direction for a few blocks or so, I receive a second call “I’m on seventh and Olive…where are you?”  “I’m coming your way now” I reply, and Hang up.  After walking back in the direction I came, I spot him sitting and smoking a Bugler at the local Seven – Eleven.  We approach each other, and give each other a five and a pound.  “What’s up man?” I say.  “Nothing man, its good to see you” he replies.  “So what happened at your loft?” I ask.  As I was referring to a text he sent me a day before.  Which read ‘…I have some shit to tell you …what time tomorrow’ as we sent each other text to meet. “I got kicked out of my loft, because they found out that I had been smoking and sleeping in there.”  He says.  “Whoa…that sucks man” I reply.

“Yea, so I’m living in Pasadena right now, Jeff went out of town to Boston” he says.  So he started explaining to me that he was looking for a loft to rent out.  “I just randomly meet this artist dude earlier, that’s why I wasn’t in Pershing Square.  He wants to take some photos of me for his portfolio!”  So after a short greeting, we start to walk towards Pershing Square.  With scrapes and bruises on his chin, and arms, and walking with a slight limp.  Dylan explained to me that he had got hit by a car, while riding his bike.  But while overlooking the minor injury, to meet up with me, we kept on walking, and Dylan suggested “Lets go to a Bar...Have you been to La Cita?” Dylan says. “No” I reply.  So we head into La Cita, which is a small Mexican themed bar, with an outside patio that we chilled in, for a drink and conversation.

Upon entering La cita, we order up a couple of beers, and head out to the outside patio, as there’s a photo shoot taking place.  Snap-Snap, goes the flash bold, as the model poses...What is she thinking about?  I think to myself.  As were walking outside onto the patio, under the bright sun.  We sit down on a worn couch.  I’m actually really excited to see Dylan. At this time, Dylan seems a bit nervous, and shaky.  I don’t believe it’s because of our meeting up, or maybe it was the whole, sue and Frieger situation. I hadn’t decided to give him a formal interview, as I was more interested in who he was on a more personal level.  He seemed like someone who I could work and build a genuine friendship with.

With his shades on, shadow shave, and worn tank exposing the tattoo on his chest it seems as if he had been wandering for a moment, or partying.  “So what do you do on a regular day?” I ask.  “I go to school and work mostly, and when I’m not working, I’m Partying!” he says.  “Oh yea, I say, and what school do you go to again?”  As I had forgotten what school he went to.  “I got to Associated Tech! And I study Phlebotomy” “Oh, Ok, because I was writing something about you, and just wanted to get everything right.” I say to Dylan. I really want to see who this guy is at this point.  I don’t know why.  I think it’s because of his art, his style, and how it seems like he’s just like me, in so many ways, as well as everyone else. He’s in search of something.  In search of what everyone is searching for.  “I just want to get bigger, and bigger, and bigger” he tells me.  As we talk about our individual projects.

“So where are you from, when did you start painting, and how did you get into all of this?” I ask Dylan.  “Well I’m from the I.E., where my mom is pretty well off, but I was on my own pretty much since the age of fourteen.” He say’s.  I then interrupt him, and ask “why don’t you ask your mom for help?” “I don’t know” he reply’s. “Since I was fourteen, I was always finding a way for myself,…I would just hang out, and just party with a group of my friends, and go crazy with paint…we would be all just having a good time, and since then everyone would just start saying ‘Give Dylan some paint,’ and that’s pretty much how I started.” He explains.  He also explains to me how he was arrested a few times, for Graffiti related crimes.  So while listening to his story, I was already thinking of ways to turn that into something positive.  When I heard “…give Dylan some Paint” something just clicked.

“I’m right where I want to be…I’m living the dream, while still trying to make it!” –Dylan Rey Vasquez

Dylan then begins to explain to me how he just has a spontaneous personality, and how he’s pretty much know for partying, and painting.  While still sipping on Budweiser’s, we both reflect on how we both would be able to play a part, in collaborating.  “I just want to paint, but I need a manager!” he says.  As I’m hinting in on how I would like for him to help design some of my Hoodies I’m working on.  “Yea, we should hang out more” he says to me.  “…Yeah! …that would be great!” I reply.  I didn’t want to follow his invitation, as I’m more concerned with establishing myself as a reliable person.  So within our conversation, I really want to get a good feel for who he is.  I know he’s an artist, so if we could start with something small, then we would be able to collaborate on a more extensive level.  “Can I have one of those Buglers man?” I ask Dylan, as he’s rolling one up for himself.  “Yeah…I found these by the way!”  So we roll up, and start smoking, and talking about nothing almost, just hanging out.  Puff –Puff, smoke, inhale, as we smoke on tobacco, on a beautiful day in Los Angeles. 

  When were almost finished with our beers, Dylan tries looking for his phone.  So while he couldn’t find it on him, or in his backpack, he went back into La Cita, to try looking for it.  After looking around for a while, he wasn’t able to find it.  So we just continued our conversation.  “I’m supposed to be at the Photo shoot, with the guy, I told you about, around four.” He says to me.  “Do you mind if I tag along?” I ask.  “Nah…not at all” he reply’s.  “You think we can find a Verizon store?” he say’s.  “Possibly…I don’t know!”  So after talking a bit more, we decided to head over to the mall.  Still unable to find a Verizon store, we were off to the Photo Shoot.  Unable to call the Photographer, we went to his loft anyway, and asked one of the ladies, who worked at the front desk. 

Dylan went up to see if he was there, but he wasn’t, so we decided to scour Downtown, Los Angeles for a Verizon store, to try to get a replacement.  After going in a huge circle, we decided that we were going to part ways. Arriving back at Pershing Square, we both sat on the steps of the entrance on Olive.  “Let me ask you a few questions for this piece!” I say to him, and his eyes seem to light up, and he cracks a smile. “…okay” he reply’s as we both start rolling up buglers.

“…So, when will you be finishing school?” I ask Dylan.  “I’ll be done in October.” He replies.  “That’s cool, so what about your art…what do you categorize your art as?”  “I see it as Abstract Surrealism; I’m a big fan of Salvador Dali…I want to be know as an artist such as that” he explains.  “What about you’re living situation...what are you going to do?”  “I plan to live here, in Downtown.  It’s been times when I had to sleep in Pershing Square” He says.  “Whoa, I could never do that!” I say with a remorseful chuckle.  And at that moment, I think to myself, about his eternal struggle, and basic will to just keep going.  At that point I understood, and was able to see his thirst for something more.  Even though on the outside, he seemed perfectly normal.

 “I see myself as a growing flower” Dylan explains, as I ask him about his personal state of being.  “I’m right where I want to be…I’m living the dream, while still trying to make it”  As the day is curling up, under the yawning sky, it seems as if our conversation, and personalities are the only things that are sparking glimmers of uncontained youth.  Just as our topics vary, I ask Dylan the last question.  “What is a motto that you live by?” and like a cannon, one after another “…Take what you can, and give nothing back…Do unto others before they do it to you, and just Love Life” he says, with a smile on his face.  So after that last question, I asked to see more of his work. “Yeah man, come over next week!” he says.  So we set a follow up, and arrangement to get photos of his work.

Five and a Pound, and we were off.  As Dylan was heading to Pasadena, I was heading to South L.A.  In an effort to retain what we talked about during the day, I decided to write the introduction of this in my Journal.  While riding on the bus, writing the introduction, and running out of space on the page…I flipped it over, and what do you know…I’m writing on the back of a page in my Journal, which was signed by Dave Navarro.