The creative force of Jesse Draxler, has been revered amongst circles ranging from fashion, to the music industry, illustration and design, as well as galleries & fine art institutions, all the while remaining a singular, enigmatic voice, impossible to pin down. Amidst his prolific visual output he has also co-founded the record label Federal Prisoner, released an album of his own, is in the process of launching his own creative lab Radical Iconography Productions, has released 2 books in the past year, 4 books in total, is pioneering the integration of blockchain technology within the traditional art space, and says this is just a fraction of what he all currently has in play.
Hi Jesse! Thank you for sitting down with me. First question that I always ask. What does a regular day look like for you in California?
A cage of my own creation.
What’s the earliest memory you have of you creating something?
Drawing cars and trucks at the kitchen counter of the house I grew up in.
When did you start taking being an artist seriously?
My practice is the only thing I take seriously. Everything else is a secondary layer of complexity added upon my natural state and to me all that can be equated to a game.
Seeing that you’re what most artists inspire to be, world wide recognized, do you ever feel like you have something to live up to? Or has that “fame” influenced your work or the way you approach certain things?
Picasso once said something about success tempting artists to become their own copycats. I’ve felt that and it totally sucks. When I felt that I thought, “damn it’s over, this is death.” Coming out the other side of it I realized the only way I make good work is if I am constantly trying to surpass my own standards again and again, in an almost maniacal way, an unhealthy obsessive way. That’s the only approach now.
You and your work have been featured in some big publications, such as: Juxtapoz, Interview magazine, Artnet, Vanity Fair, VICE, Dazed, and Playboy, to name a few. What is that experience like? Seeing yourself and your work in such renowned publications?
It’s never enough.
You’ve worked for Prince and MCQ/Alexander McQueen. Do you ever get nervous or feel the pressure to deliver when working with huge names like that?
Yea, every time I think “I can’t do this, I have to write them and tell them I can’t do it.” I freak out for a while. Then I sit down and crush it.
So besides everything mentioned above Jesse, you’ve had several books with your work published. What made you want to start publishing books?
I have such a prolific output that what reaches the public is a small fraction of what I produce, and even that is too much to succinctly organize for digital consumption, so physical books became the best way to coherently display 200+ images in a digestible fashion in one go. I believe it is the best way to take in my work outside of a physical exhibition.
And you’re also into NFTs, with your own collection on NiftyGateway and SuperRare. How and when did you get introduced to NFTs?
My now good friend Skygolpe, introduced me to NFTs some years ago at the time before they exploded. I was honored as he is a leading artist in that space. He actually reached out to me through a mutual friend saying he was a long time fan of my work and he would like to bring me into the community as well as collaborate. Since then we have been continuously working together on many different creative projects.
What are your overall thoughts about the current NFT space, and where do you see NFTs compared to physical art in let’s say 5 years?
I live 5 years ahead so I can just tell you – you will look back at this question and think it was silly to ask.
Comparing NFTs to physical art isn’t possible, they aren’t direct competitors or mutually exclusive things. Physical art can use NFTs, that is what I am already doing. All my physical work for the past year and from now forward is all digitally certified with NFTs, this includes every single print. But most important is to understand that NFTs are just a technology that has a variety of uses across a variety of industries.
If you are asking me to compare digital art and physical art 5 years from now, again, it is irrelevant to me. I have been producing digital works alongside physical works since the beginning of my practice. Every image of mine has various digital and physical counterparts.
It seems to me the world is just catching up to what I have been doing since the beginning, and they don’t even realize it yet because I’ve made it a point to distort this fact as much as possible, to make it indistinguishable, inconsequential to the end result. Which to me, is a testament to the success of my processes.
Can you walk me through your creative process, from start to end result?
If I could I wouldn’t.
How do you deal with creative blocks?
I want to cry and throw a tantrum. Scream, yell, call a therapist and threaten suicide. Every time it is grueling, people may say they do this or that to get through it, but it’s really just wasting time until the flow is back. I don’t care if I work out or try to disappear under the covers in bed, doesn’t seem to matter either way. There is nothing worse.
What motivates you?
Weed, coffee, fear.
How would you describe a perfect day?
In flow. Strong momentum.
Anybody you look up to?
My higher self.
Alright Jesse. I always ask these two questions at the end of an interview. The first is. What’s your favorite movie(s) and why?
The Crow, The Beach, Igby Goes Down – Rebelling loners, great soundtracks. Formative movies in my youth.
Under The Skin, Zone Of Interest – Dread through gestalt, peripheral horror, amazing sound design. Jonathan Glazer FTW.
The second is. What song(s) are you currently listening to the most right now?
I listen to vinyl records in the studio and CDs in the car, so I am more of an album person than a song person.