Today we’d like to introduce you to Abraham Gutierrez.
Hi Abraham, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
It’s a long story, but in regards to my art, I started painting at twelve and began screen printing when I was fourteen, under the table, of course. My dad was a printer & maybe that’s why I gravitated towards it. My love for the craft (painting) has always been there, although it’s evolved, & I consider myself very lucky to have found what I love to do so early. I’m twenty-eight now & when I look around at my peers, I’m more than thankful I landed where I’m at; I don’t have a lot of money or anything, and I don’t even have a car or phone service. But I’m happy to be me & I’m so glad to be here! I am so thankful for the art I’ve explored in all its forms, from painting to writing, screen printing, writing short stories, working with fabrics & all the rest. It is all the details! & good things take time. Even though I want to drop more often, I don’t mind taking a while to make something special.
I’ve been trying to combine my passions into one solid process for some time now; what I’ve come up with is creating short stories for my drops (selling my tees). That way, I can paint or draw my design, write the short story, & I can print the orders. It’s all a passion project; my life is a passion project! Selling these works (my tees) gives me a chance to open up to my customers & get things off my chest; with every order, I sketch one original piece over heavy-duty multimedia paper to practice my drawing skills & a handwritten piece over the same type of paper to practice my writing skills. Everything works together. I have also been making short stories for these releases and even made a playlist for my next one! The photos are of my latest work, fabric paint over cotton. I’ve grown to appreciate clothes much more since I’ve liked my appearance. I guess I was always misplaced when making fashion choices with my art because I didn’t have a style back then. I was always interested in putting outfits together, but it’s not till now that I understand the power of putting something on that makes me feel like me & lets me express myself. I get dressed at night & leave the outfit nice & folded next to my bed for the next day, lol. I love that shit.
One of my favorite things about running a clothing brand (or any artistic venture) is that you can be super creative in how you want to put it out! It’s short stories for me, but it doesn’t have to be that for everyone. Some do a traditional front & back & that’s it: tees on the wall, floor, or anywhere. Others love to showcase their works in studios with great lighting and a clean aesthetic. I’ve seen people toss it up in the backyard & make it look good. I think the most crucial part is to make it be you. That said, I’m pretty happy with where I’m at with my art. I’m learning new ways of doing things and want to open an online shop now. Times have changed, and I’ve changed with them.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The hardest part of making money off my art was being business-minded because I don’t make art for that. I don’t make something in hopes of what it will make because it’s an urge I’m getting off. It’s hard for me to do something to make money; I want to enjoy the act. I’m super (or too) lax with monetary growth. I usually don’t sell originals because I like my work and keep it for myself. But I enjoy connecting with others and creating exciting and creative ways to market my work, so I lean into that when the time comes, and then that’s when I have to think about my money differently. Even though I’m looking at my work in other terms like quantity or price value, the only thing that lets me be comfortable doing so is providing good quality! When the work speaks for itself, there’s nothing left to say about it. That way, I can have a good conscience while deciding what to do next.
Thanks for sharing that. Please tell us more about your work.
I specialize in painting and writing and love screen printing, too! I want to be good at everything I do, not just for me but out of respect for the craft I’m working in. When painting, I try to put music on, catch a feeling, and then ride that while I work. I went back to creating art sober. I used to smoke weed and paint, but I recognize that my work is best when I’m sober. It was not the best, as in the designs I made the most money with, but the designs I had the most fun with. I’ll get an energy drink, some light snacks, and put my favorite songs on. Artistically, I’m most proud of my style. I’m also proud of the work I put in, but the style sets itself apart as a unique piece of work, and I think it’s because I’m in tune with the art that wants to come out. It’s hard to say that I’m proud of my art because I’m always in service to it artistically. I’ve grown & I’m proud of that, too, but I don’t even think about it like that. The point for me is to do it; I’m free at that moment; I’m free at that moment.
What do you think about happiness?
It makes me happy when I’m of the best use to my craft and mentally and physically healthy. I love my art so much because it’s stayed with me throughout my life, both good times and bad times. When I felt alone, I would write and paint, and nothing else mattered to me when I was in that space. My life was falling apart fast, and I just wrote about it. I painted throughout it, and I listened to a lot of music. But my life had to change, and I put the art on hold while I put myself together. If I go more than two weeks without working on something artistic, I feel an emptiness in my soul; I know it’s so dramatic, but it’s true. If I don’t do anything about it one day just like that, I have to get it out, and I’ll create a painting on damn near anything! I’ve done drywall, a big ass brick, a van, a can, and so many more little surfaces because I didn’t have the materials I needed but the art couldn’t wait for it. Although I know myself well and certainly enough to know what will make me feel best, nothing can replace another person. Sometimes, I’ll think of people I care about and feel better that way. But the things that make me happy are hard things I do well. I love a rhymed poem because of the struggle of putting it together or painting over fabric and free-balling it to make something fantastic!
In painting, I’ll put myself in a corner, and it’s up to me to pull from the years of practice to get out of it. Working with my mistakes is vital! I can’t help but look at things in my life the same way. When I write, I try to make it flow like a conversation; I need it to be easy. It can only be easy if I work for it every day, and that’s why I write every day. I wrote a piece today, and what struck me about it was how comfortable I was with it and, while writing, how relaxed I was in being personal and humorous at the same time and being vulnerable and taking that shit! It all came from telling myself to have fun and do my best. Believe in your skills, do something new, and put it on.
Pricing:
- Regular tees at $50 flat
- Ringer tees at $55 flat
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @deadhouselive
Image Credits
Sergio Caro, Oliver Boyce
