The Art Of Rohitash Rao - Trash And Treasure

I first became aware of Rohitash Rao's art at one of the ArtBlocks, and wondered what the story might be behind the witty paintings done on found objects, or as Rao himself calls it, "trash". I'm always drawn to art with words in it, and Rao's words do not disappoint. We chatted at the most recent ArtBlock and made a plan to sit down and find out just what his story is. We did, and now I know. It goes like this ... 

Rao was born in India, and moved with his family to Rancho Cucamonga at the age of two. His father was a glass blower and had found work in the Inland Empire, where everyone was an immigrant, because the town of Rancho Cucamonga was brand new. No one was from there, because it had never existed before, creating equal footing for everyone. Everything was a first ... the first time a wall had been tagged, the first time someone put a ramp in a backyard, it was all new, like the subdivision in E.T., and Rao says, "That was how I grew up, and it was great."

Rao told me that all of his art is informed by that place and time, with popular culture and music from that era figuring prominently in his work. Rao had always been painting and drawing from a young age, and one way that he made friends in school was that he was the guy who could do awesome lettering, like the exact AC/DC or KISS logo, and other kids would hit him up to decorate their folders. This started a lifelong interest in typography, which remains evident in his work.

It came time for college and Rao's mother was dead set on him being a scientist like she was herself. He went to San Jose to study chemistry, and confesses that he was "the worst student ever", flunking out of everything, just because he didn't like it. He went home and told his parents he needed to find an art school, and soon he was on his way at the Art Center in Pasadena. As he wanted to "Do it all", advisors recommended that he study advertising, because it covered so much, and honed his design sense and writing skills.

Years in the advertising biz followed, with a move to New York City. The writing skills paid off, and together with his partner, Peter Nelson, Rao got a book deal for a series of children's books, including Herbert's Wormhole and Creature Keepers. The books are an obvious hit, as Rao has fan letters and drawings from kids stacked on his table, and it's great. Rao illustrated the books as well, and always kept painting to keep in shape for the drawing. Painting soon became as important to him as the illustration, so he was kept very busy, as there were also readings for kids, a new series of animated shorts for Comedy Central called Anua Jiram (marijuana backwards) that were for adults - the total opposite of the kids' books. For balance. There was also a pilot for Fox called Rancho Cucamonga, produced by Lorne Michaels, that didn't wind up getting picked up ... yet.

With all that going on, and with Rao's writing partner, Nelson, living in L.A., Rao decided to make the move back to California. "Of all the parts of L.A. I like, for me it was always Venice," explained Rao. "It was just pure bliss. The light is the most obvious thing. Painting with natural light is the best thing, and I can open the doors to the studio and spray paint outside in the fresh air, and it's Heaven." His studio on Electric Avenue is a sun and art-filled space, teeming with creativity. "I've never been more productive. Abbot Kinney is right there, and has everything you could want. It helps my work to have everything nearby." Like he can just zip out for lunch or coffee or whatever, and return right back to work, without taking half the day to drive and park and all that. Perfecto.

"When I was in New York, I would think of Venice as one of the nicest places in L.A. Like at a 4-way stop, all the Venice people are telling you to go. In Santa Monica, maybe one person would wave you ahead. In Hollywood, zero would. People are nicer here, and look out for each other more. Drivers look out for bikers and skaters, because cars here KNOW this is your town," Rao said, pretty truthfully, at least for now.

Talking more about his art, Rao said that his idea of painting on trash began in junior high, mainly as a cost reason for cheap materials, but it quickly became a mimic of our culture. "I'm painting about our culture on the stuff that our culture throws away, to show how ridiculous it all is," Rao told me to better define his methods. "I do it too, but I'm aware of it, and I'm calling it out as ridiculous." Rao takes the words and images of Pop culture and mixes it together in a blender, like the painting of a weed leaf made up of the lyrics from the Cheers theme song.

Rao doesn't suffer from needing materials, as with all of the construction on and near Abbot Kinney, there is trash and detritus everywhere, just waiting to be discovered on his walks down the alley between his studio and the boulevard ... "I don't even have to try." Friends and neighbors also now know, and will drop off things they find for him to paint on, from big pieces of wood to paper drink cups. The "Trash Talk" paintings on cups began when Rao started a blog called "Art For A Beer" while in New York (for which he did a painting a day for 100 days). He would go to a bar and do a painting "of stuff I've heard on the streets" on a cup in exchange for a beer. There would be 20 or 30 people waiting to buy him a beer, which you can't really physically do, so after a few beers, they would start giving him cash, and thus, he began selling a bunch of paintings. That's pretty cool, right?

The paintings are all super clever, and all have a point to make. "When he finally looked up from his phone he discovered that everyone in the world was dead" is pretty dark, but also a zinger to those kinds of people. Rao often juxtaposes different areas of Pop culture, say a Snoopy character with a Radiohead lyric. I think my favorite one at the moment is one of a little plane in a night sky that draws you close to read the small print, "Oh, Stewardess, I speak jive." From Airplane, of course. I love it.

Another favorite - clearly - is the one Rao did when Prince died, and posted right when it had been 7 hours and 13 days since he had passed away. Lovely.

Rao is always up to the minute, and just completed one in honor of Muhammad Ali ...

And, as most down Venetians are, Rao is also feeling the Bern.

There is a whole installation of small paintings of people with the caption "These are all of the people you ignored today because you were too busy looking down at your phone" Thought provoking, and this is one that Rao is looking for a wall to recreate it as a big mural. It would be perfect right in the middle of Abbot Kinney somewhere, so if you have a wall to fill, please contact Rao and make it cool. And make a statement.

Another pointed series is the Kool-Aid packets Rao has altered to tweak the noses of targets such as climate change deniers and the ridiculousness of a Trump campaign or anyone who would support it. Drinking the Kool-Aid ...

"Venice is an artist's community. It's why I was drawn here, and why other artists are drawn here. It's not the weather, it's the creative community, that supports each other. Music, painting, technology, writing, it's all why we're all here together in this creative pocket. And we need to protect that," Rao said, with conviction. That is why he and the other members of the ArtBlock created that special day, to support each other and be the (old) Sundance art event, vs. the corporate affair that the annual Art Walk has become (though proceeds go to Venice Family Clinic - still.). They all teamed up together to make it happen, all in it together. "We all paid for the buses, the banners, everything ourselves," Rao said, and he added the great tag line to the mix (shades of his old ad agency days), "See Artists In Their Natural Habitat." Grassroots style, and one of the best art events Venice has. Power to the People!

Rao recently had his first solo show at the Fathom Gallery in Downtown L.A. which was a smashing success, to be followed by his first New York solo show next month (July 23) at Kustera Projects in Red Hook. With another Creature Keepers volume coming out this fall, and directing video content for various outlets, Rao is constantly busy, but always manages to find the time to keep painting.

Rohitash Rao is making treasures out of trash, and he is making social commentary with wit and intelligence ... all of which is just about as Venice as you can be. We're lucky to have him.

Visit Rao's world at Rohitashraopaintsontrash.com

The Venice Artblock - Excellent and Free!

The very first Venice Artblock was held on Sunday, and it was fantastic. And FREE! After many of our local artists were denied participation in the official Venice Art Walk this past Spring, they took it upon themselves to create - in a very Venice-spirited way, a little anarchist, take the power back style - their own event, free and open to the public, without any lines, wrist bands, or corporate headquarters ... just art, art and more art! In these times, that's both highly commendable, and historical.

It was done just as legit (if not more) as the Art Walk, with a great map, balloons and signs to signify where the stops were, and even a shuttle to get you around if you forgot your bike (always the best way to cover the most ground at these type of events). It was very spread out, from the beach to almost Lincoln, and from Venice Blvd. to Rose. The area around Vernon and Sunset was kind of the hub, with the most concentrated number of studios to hit.

It's so great to go around, and get to see inside the studios of artists that you may just know socially, or have heard of, and then get to peek inside their work space and understand how they operate. What a treat to have them share so much of not just their art, but themselves.

It was a party atmosphere at the studio of William Attaway, with Argentinian barbeque being grilled up, and music thumping. Attaway has a new series of paintings going that feel very bright and tropical, and it's always fun to see his sculptural works in progress.



Alberto Bevacqua's photographs are always haunting and provocative, and stood in stark contrast to the wooden circus animals of Pamela Weir-Quiton down the street. There is certainly something for everyone to admire in Venice.

Gary Palmer had his studio open and shared some stories about his recent excursion to participate in a big sidewalk chalk drawing event in Atlantic City. If you saw his Abbot Kinney in chalk at the Street Fair, you know Palmer is a master of this craft. His oil paintings are collected all over the world, and it's cool to see where it all begins. Very cool.

I always love to see what they have going on at the Curio Studio, one of my favorites in town.  

361 Vernon, where Palmer's studio is, also had a whole slew of studios open, from video installations to ceramics and everything in between. There is so much going on all the time, that you don't have any idea about, which may explain why so many people feel that Venice truly IS a creative vortex.

With SO much going on, it was difficult to hit all the points on the map, especially when you get held up chatting and catching up with other art lovers enjoying such a remarkable day. I stopped by to see what performance artist  and awesome lady Amy Kaps had going on, and she showed off her works while performing hostess duties all decked out in black, white and hot pink. She is a Venice treasure, for sure.

Across the street on Electric, Rohitash Rao was showing his paintings done mostly on garbage. Faces and phrases painted on empty coffee cups or other flotsam, all comic with an edge. Good stuff, good hang too.

I got a late start so it was already almost 5 (closing time) when I got over to SPARC. The talented and erudite Kay Brown showed some of us how her gorgeous wood block printing, and how the printing process is done. Her floral print reminded me of Attaway's flowers at the first stop. Full Circle.

SPARC always has wonderful things to look at, and the murals surrounded by the old bars of the town jail that the building once was lend even more power to the images you're seeing. SPARC is a hallowed institution and if you live in or care about Venice, it really warrants your time to explore and know about.

Every person I ran into along the way raved about how excellent this event was, and how wonderful that it was free and open to absolutely anyone, not just those who can cough up the steep admission price of the official Art Walk. It somehow felt more REAL too ... like art for art's sake, not necessarily profit, though work was being sold, and perhaps as importantly, being seen, learned and known about. The community was out in force, great conversations were being had, and every artist I encountered was beaming with the success of the day ... and the FUN!

Artblock was in fact SO cool, that I have to imagine they're already plotting the next one. And you should be there. It's the REAL deal. Thank you to all the artists involved, for inviting us all into your creative spaces, and for being there in the first place. Venice needs you!!! Sincerely, Thanks.