Interview with Artist, Joey DeRuy

Joey DeRuy is an artist who has lived everywhere from Montana to Hong Kong, Kenya to Maine. Now residing and working in San Francisco, California, Joey DeRuy is exploring ideas of futurism through his paintings. His artwork has taken him around the world and into industries that he had never dreamed of. Sketching and painting since childhood, he sold his first pieces of artwork when he was just twelve years old and was featured in his first magazine at the age of sixteen. I caught up with Joey at his studio in San Francisco to talk about his artwork, modeling for Versace and his work ethic that keeps him painting from 9 to 5.

Dig In Magazine: Thanks so much for agreeing to talk with Dig In Magazine! What kind of artwork have you been working on lately?

Joey DeRuy: Portraits. I'm still obsessed with the idea of trying to put in a painting form the idea of technology...kind of like outdated technology that hasn't even happened...technology where we aren't yet. Futuristic...I feel like we're in this new idea of futurism, because of that movement and people were kind of freaked out about it and it is still something that is inevitable. I think that now we have this technology that is flying so much faster and I'm trying to find a way to not just show...[like] Star Trek...where you would download people...So I'm trying to find a way to paint, not necessarily break down like a fatalistic thing, but to show the balance of the human...That there's good technology and it's not reliable as well...So, it's like the idea of when a CD skips [or] a digital program on television is coming through and it's pixilated, I'm trying to find a way to kind of show technology...[which] can never replace human. But the idea that it's going to go somewhere in ways that we have no idea.

DIM: So how do you express that type of thing through your art? How would someone be able to take that away from your art when they look at it?

JD: I'm not sure. It just started. For the longest time I...had other things to say and [I was] learning how to have a voice in art. I was working so much...painting for commissions. I was always painting other things. I never really thought of how to convey what I want to in a painting.

DIM: Because you were always painting for someone else?

JD: Yes. And so I'm painting for myself for the first time. And that's how this painting came about...It's the idea of whether we like it or not, how dependent we are on it [technology].

DIM: What's the name of that painting?

JD: I've been calling it self-download. It's the idea that without technology we are literally putting ourselves in the state of immobilization. So, whether I live with you or not or whether you're a family member, without technology, if we're not immediately connected...we can't communicate. We can't buy things...It's turned into this thing where it's almost like a luxury. It would be easy to say in the future this idea [that] if you have committed a crime we can unplug you so to speak. And then you're cut off from everything...cut off from civilization, because you won't be able to function. And that's how we are connected now. And so I'm trying to find a way to express that. And I'm seeing it, not just now...this painting has the fire...this is like a personal satellite system and that's smoke coming from the bottom here. And the idea is that these are the little lights that kind of hover with you and he is downloading. He is able to download vegetation, keys to his house, a place in a heart, loved ones and family...this is fire and this is energy, money, food, memories...these are buildings and behind him, these are mountains. The idea is that whether we're in civilization or we're out in the woods we can still use this technology. It's this idea that maybe it's possible that [in the future] we can literally think about somebody and they can manifest.

DIM: Kind of like sci-fi.

JD: Yes. And I've never been a sci-fi kind of person, but that's really where we're going with like the iPhone. I remember taking phones that had straps on them. And in such a span, to look at that and [now] have an iPhone...that's amazing...for us to have gone through that so quickly is really amazing. And it's something that really has no choice, but to affect our future. And to me it's like we don't even know just how crazy we're going to get with technology...we have people that are afraid of it or not and [are] excited about it, but it's inevitable and I think that history does repeat itself. And we've gone through this. And at that time there was some cubism going on...it was like the 50s. The war had ended and so they were moving forward with these ideas and [thinking] what next? I feel like after Obama came there was that same feeling like oh, we don't necessarily like what is going on or not, but he represented a different idea. I see [it] kind of repeating itself again.

DIM: I understand that you have traveled all over the world, from Chicago and New York to Hong Kong and Paris in order to find a voice. What did you discover through your travels visiting museums and galleries all over the world and how does your artwork tell that story?

JD: It probably helped me to learn a voice. I don't think I saw that or knew that at the time. I was taking it all in. [There's] always a strong feeling that something can be better some place else. The grass is greener on the other side. And there were really interesting things over there, but I think all it did was show me how the same things are...You can run around and look for something and you can run around and think that there's a better answer...that THAT way is better. But when you get there, it's the same artwork. It's the same people. It's the same comfort. You know, you can go there and then be like "Wow, this feels the same or as good as if I would have done this at home." And kind of disvaluing what's around you and thinking that it's better some place else. But it really isn't. I mean, you know, the artists that are talented there are just as talented here. The U.S. doesn't have the same history. It's a younger country...You're able to see more history, which is cool, but those movements and those things were...a collective consciousness...it came from the same source, so it's not any different. More than anything it's more a matter of looking at things with history in it and just like taking it in.

DIM: So, you felt like by doing that it influenced what you were working on?

JD: Yes, because you have to experience it. It's like a well. It gives your mind so much water to draw from. I think it does change your perspective, but I think you can do that with a book [and] the Internet. What it comes down to is being receptive. So, I think more than anything it was more like downloading.

DIM: Where has your art taken you?

JD: It's been interesting. It brought me here [San Francisco]. I was in Montana and I moved from Montana to Dallas for work. And it takes me [to] some crazy places...it took me to Paris. It took me to San Francisco. It took me to, not just these places, but it introduces you to a lot of things. I mean it's opened the doorway to industries you would never put together. It's opened the industry to food. And all of a sudden I'm going to food events. There so kind of not related, but I would say that it seems very charmed. But I'd say that putting yourself out there for any work could do that. I can see how being a painter is interesting and so that might open different doorways. But yes, I've had commissions. I have a commission coming up where they're building a house in Montana and they're building it specifically with me painting in mind. So, they're going to have a courtyard. So, it's like part of a process, [which is] similar to the Dallas restaurant [that] they were still building and it was just a space...and you have the head chef, the manager and the owner kind of walking around and it's kind of interesting, because you're part of that process...[I was] establishing my vision. "Like I can see looking at this space we should have something here."

DIM: So you have been an artist since childhood, when and where was your first art show?

JD: My first art show was at the Capital Hill Mall in Helena, Montana. I was twelve and it was called Artful Framers. It was like a gallery and framing [store]. It had framing in the back and it was the only mall in town. I did two pencil sketches that were actually realistic. So, they were realism. I would go there to get things framed and they really liked it. So, I gave them the two and sold them there.

DIM: How did you get into art?

JD: I got into art, because it was a way of talking.

DIM: Like expressing yourself?

JD: Much, much heavier. I know that I had issues in my mother's womb and I know that I went through a lot that they couldn't figure out what was going on with me as a child. And so they put me through a lot of tests and things. And I wasn't able to communicate. And I would get frustrated and people would get frustrated. And so, they used crayons way back in the day as a means to try and talk to me. I wasn't able to communicate and I had all this anguish. And I was so young, I was probably two or four or five. And so they used that and I was starting to draw how I felt. Then, they would take that and analyze it. They found out later about learning disabilities. It's neurological. So, there's no shame. That's the way it is.

DIM: Well, it seems like you grew out of that.

JD: In a way, but I still have comprehension problems. I mean, I'm functional. But with time comes experience...painting was really a form of being able to talk to the world. My mother was half deaf. There were issues with "how do we do this?" And then, I learned how to talk and I got educated slower. For most usual kids [for me] it was three times harder. Like when you're trying to teach a child algebra. They see the numbers, [but] it doesn't compute. I think it takes me just a little more of just looking at it. And then, [it's] "ok, I got it!"

DIM: Who are your artistic influences?

JD: I'm really into Lari Pitman. His paintings look like graphic novels and I really aspire to that. I like them, because they're busy. And I like them, because there's a lot going on. And I'm trying to find a way to emulate that without overdoing a painting. I don't want to overdo a painting. I'm really into futurism, so I really appreciate Kandinsky. I like Picasso. And Richard Diebenkron and Luc Tuyman are both artists that I find inspirational.

DIM: How would you describe your artistic style?

JD: I guess it would be portraiture. It would be somewhat cubist. I've kind of been playing with oblong shapes. I would say that it's definitely tribal influenced...mixed with European vain. I'm still looking for the moment [at] futurism, which is not necessarily what's going on right now. But I don't paint for anybody else.

DIM: What inspires you to create art?

JD: Life. I'm really into the bigger picture. I'm fascinated with learning, nature, not just the universe and science, but just in general, the simple things. You know of course I'm really into beautiful things like fashion, or jewelry or art in itself is inspirational. People. Because I think for me art is life that happens to you. So, you know I experience things and life and people. And I observe that...I take it and appreciate it. I've got so much gratefulness for it.

DIM: What types of creative work have you participated in?

JD: I've designed tattoos, illustrations, packaging for national products, portraits of family members...which to me doesn't feel like art, because you're more like capturing a person like it's a photograph, whereas art is more expressive. Murals. I usually have a sketchbook with me twenty-four hours. I usually sketch and give it away like to the stewardess, the pilot. I'll sketch something for the waitress. I'll sketch something for my neighbor. I have so much in my mind and I think they say [that] artists tend to repeat the same story so to speak. So, when I paint I'm painting different ideas as I go through them, but when I sketch I tend to sketch the same thing. So, I just do it and I give it away.

DIM: Were you trained as an artist and if so, where were you trained?

JD: No. I mean, every once and awhile I'll read a book or magazines. I tend to find painting kind of like cooking...like a recipe. So, I journal as I paint. I write it down and if I want to do that same thing again, I just kind of look it up like a recipe. So, I started going to school just recently for the history of art, but I've never trained in anything.

DIM: Can you talk a little bit about your love for mixed media?

JD: I like mixed media, because you can actually [do] just that. I think oils are kind of outdated in the sense that you can only do one thing with it. And I think that mixed media allows you to not only take a painting around with you...in that if you can't take a paint you can take pencils. But it allows for more expression of details and layers.

DIM: What magazines has your art been featured in?

JD: Jane Magazine, Texas Monthly, New Art International, which is an international magazine, Juxtapoz, a lot of newspapers, The Entertainer, my first magazine was Montana Crossroads...I was probably sixteen.

DIM: I understand that some well-known private collectors have bought your art. Can you name a few?

JD: Kate Pierson of the B-52s, the actress Andie MacDowell, Chris Jagger, who used to do the television program "Change of Heart", Joel Baird, [who does] video art...

DIM: What awards have you won for your artwork? I know you won Best of San Francisco in 2009 and Top 50 Emerging Artists-Artist Wanted – New York, NY in 2008.

JD: San Francisco's SF Weekly Best of 2009, HDTV 2008 Best Packaging and 25 Best Gifts for Holiday, Washington Blade, I've been on the cover of Q Texas.

DIM: Do you paint full-time?

JD: I try to paint Monday through Friday, 9 to 5. Sometimes I have appointments, but I try to paint everyday. I try to paint in the daytime. I used to paint erratically and I'd paint until four in the morning, but...I think if you really want to take it seriously it's a job too. So, you have to treat it like a job. If you're not inspired, then work on something that's from the past. Because you need to know for yourself when to stop and when to let go. So, setting some type of boundary for yourself is good, because it forces you to do and go through those motions. But it also forces you to know when to stop and say "when is enough." I usually try to stay off the weekends. It doesn't necessarily need to be Saturday and Sunday. I try to give myself that time when it's okay to not [work].

DIM: What are some of your interests outside of art?

JD: I love art! I'm into nature. I really love animals. I don't know if it's being raised isolated, but I really enjoy animals...and nature. Any kind of cultural thing. I love a good performance. Things like Juanita More. People like that who host and create family style parties. So a party where its kind of the same people and everyone knows each other..kind of a nice relation there. Mostly everything for me is arts and culture. That's all I do.

DIM: So, I hear that you are also a fashion model. How did you get into that?

JD: I was. I moved to Dallas and when I was in Dallas I met a hair dresser named Todd Hedrick, who was at the time called...[or] Vogue [Magazine] would call him The Hair Evangelist and he's an amazing artist and he introduced me to everything. I ended up working with Versace. I did one show and some photos. I met some interesting people. I met Donetella Versace. It was pretty cool. It was in Dallas. I did Milk Magazine and I was in a couple of publications. And I still do things like that for fun if it's offered.

DIM: What types of modeling have you done?

JD: Mostly photos. I've never done runway, because I'm so short. I'm only 5'10 [or] 5'11. At the time I was used, because I was very androgynous. I was young enough where I had this hair and it was like "was it a boy or was it a girl?" [Laugh] They used to always put me in makeup and I'd not have a shirt on. It's a career that you have to put a lot of interest in, so I reached a point where [it was] one or the other. I'm [either] doing art or I'm doing fashion. I think fashion is very short lived, but I was grateful for the opportunities that I had. But I think that I have more of a solid base with artwork. I think artwork has always been easier. It hasn't always been something that has come easier, but it's always been something that's been more responsive. And it takes a lot of energy and effort for both.

DIM: What can we expect from Joey DeRuy in the future?

JD: I know that I was more known in Dallas and what got me hired by the Mayer of Dallas [were] my cityscapes. People really enjoy them. I tend to not like them. I mean they're fun to do, but I tend to like doing portraits more, because people are so interesting. With a new person and every friend that you meet you want to put that down somehow. I'm kind of still leaning towards that idea of futurism. But I still have that part in my heart that is kind of still drawn to dandies. You know, the gentile dandy...the gentleman with the top hat. Somewhat kind of a worked sense of style mixed with alternative lifestyle. So you've got a tattooed bearded man with a top hat and an ascot and pipe. And I tend to still go back to those things. So I think that's a consistent thing. And I think in the future I will somehow have a retrospective, because I've painted so many paintings.

DIM: Do you know how many you've painted?

JD: Hundreds and hundreds. At the time I was painting for designers, so what I was known for was the ability to paint something that was of quality within a couple of days. And I've been painting and selling and giving them away since twelve or thirteen and it just hasn't stopped. There's a lot of art. I'd say a thousand. Recently within the past eight years I started documenting painting and keeping track of them. So I have documentation of five or six hundred. I don't want to exaggerate, but I know that it's an overwhelming number.

DIM: How did you build your art career? How did people find out about you and your artwork?

JD: Either through the organization that I was working with or just word of mouth. I usually tend to be very personable and gregarious and outgoing. I wear everything on my sleeve. So, I bring my sketchbook and it's always that sketchbook. And people see that and they're like "what's this?" and I'm like "[it's] me thinking my thoughts about this." And then everybody that I've met and go through know that I'm an artist...[and they] refer things to me...It just happens.

DIM: Thanks so much for talking to Dig In Magazine and I wish you the best of luck in the future with your artwork!