Guu Press | Magazine - Blue is for Depression: An Interview with Luke Chueh

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You recently took some flak for coming across as “pretentious” in another interview. What are your thoughts on that interview now?

I still wish the site used the edited and updated version of the interview, but I'm not really bothered by the negative responses. I just accredit it to an evolution in my career. Once you've got enough attention and fans, you’re inevitably going to have haters. Hooray! (Thanks to everyone who stood up for me in the comments. Your support is truly appreciated.)

If they’re talking about you, you’re doing something right. In that interview you described your work as “post brow.” Could you elaborate on the terms "low-brow," "post-brow," "underground art," etc.?

Sure. Low-brow, in my eyes, is a genre of art that exploded onto the scene in the late eighties. Illustration-based, low-brow art wasn't afraid of being funny, sexy, controversial, and even racist. Low-brow art was pretty much a celebration of being white and American -- two things that society pretty much frowned on during the politically correct nineties. 1960's white trash icons like Rat Fink, the pin-striping of Von Dutch, and all things b-culture (tiki idols, horror movies, comics, cartoons, etc.) were resurrected in low-brow paintings and magazines such as the now defunct Art Alternatives. They brought much deserved attention to a genre most galleries would probably have never touched.

Like you said, post-brow was a title I came up with recently. The way I see it, post-brow art is the product of a new genre of artists who grew up under the shadow of low-brow art and were inspired by what we saw in the magazines. I consider post-brow art to pretty much be low-brow art minus the white trash element. As for me, I didn't grow up around Rat Fink or Hot Rods, I grew up with Robotech, Sanrio, Transformers, and Nintendo.

The underground art movement pretty much covers an entire scene of artists who have decided to stop waiting for an invitation from a gallery that's never going to arrive. Instead, they’ve created informal events to show their art on their own. These events are usually in alternative spaces like abandoned office spaces or warehouses, and promotion ranges from word of mouth to photocopied fliers. Groups such as Cannibal Flower and Create:Fixate typify Los Angeles' underground art movement.

I, personally, like the creation of new genres and the expansion of our art vocabulary. But others sometimes make the valid point that jargon muddies things and alienates those who aren't in the know. What's your stance?

I think labeling and categorizing in art and in general is a necessary evil. It's something we instinctually do, and when handled with an open mind, it can be a good thing. It can help audiences better understand and appreciate what they see, and it can help them discover other less popular, like-minded artists. However, it can also be used against artists as a way to belittle and stereotype them. Basically, I think it's something unavoidable, and the sooner you can come to terms with it, the better.

Guu Magazine at GuuPress.com

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