Justin Becker talks to RAW about what his artwork means to him and his love for the whole process. Be sure to RSVP to see his work live at the next Santa Monica RAW Showcase on Thursday, March 4th! 

When did you first begin making art?
My original interest in art stems from a deep-seated love for comic books.  I began illustrating my own as soon as I figured out that the amount of comics, and their expenses, I desired far exceeded my allowance.   From there, I began to become interested in more important things: women, relationships, night life, fashion.  Though I developed my new fondness for other things, I never lost love for my original passion.  I combine all that I love and lessons I’ve learned to build my drawings as you see them now.  

From where do you draw inspiration for your work? 
Events in life, lessons I learn,  fads I find ridiculous, people I can’t stand,  mostly my own foolish behavior and lack of internal dialogue.  My insensitivity that seems to set off those I love.  My work is a dialogue, an argument, my frustrations, a joke.  My work lets me better understand what I did wrong or why something frustrated me.  I work through it.  The messier the work, the messier the event. 

What do you love most about what you do? 
It’s more than a release.  I feel like things are resolved.  I feel like I learn from each.  What may look like mere images to some are, to me, a collection of layered thoughts that describe an occurrence.  It’s a dyslexics’ compilation of mental images, sometimes backwards, upside down, or interrupted. It’s closure, or part of my autobiography.

Do you engage in, or draw inspiration from, any other forms of art ?  
Photography intrigues me which is obvious in my work.  I do take photos myself and use them from time to time but finding source work in the way I do has really become part of my process.  I don’t want the photographed person’s personality in the piece at all.  I want them ambiguous since the person doesn’t matter.

From start to finish, explain your process; what does a typical art-making day look like for you? 
I shuffle through photos, writings, sketches to find “it.” I have a lot of images I keep. I cut, crop, manipulate.  I exaggerate, lie to myself, the image, you (the viewer) and make what I see into what I want to see.

What sort of techniques do you most like working with?  
My favorite part is the process.  I love the fact that this cannot be duplicated.  I love layers (i.e. Diebenkorn) and the way a pre-acrylic wash can affect the oil layer above it and well as the way that that wash is resisted by the medium you used before it.  Layers have become my choice.  

Medium of choice? 
Drawing has always been my thing.  I’m shy but comfortable with oils and I love acrylic wash and matte medium.  I like everything subtle and yet chaotic.  I guess you could call what I do drawing in the loosest form of the definition.

Are there any specific reoccurring themes or subjects that you explore and deal with most in your work?  
I love taking the character away, the eyes away.  I like taking the personality away from a figure and making it about everything else.  That “everything else” is really what drives me.  I do my best to exaggerate it to tell a story.   

Favorite thing to do outside of making art?  
I’m a HUGE “bad movie” guy.  I like lame movies like Shark Attack 3, or Mega Shark VS. Giant Octopus (I guess usually some sort of large fish is involved).  I actually moved to LA to be in one …  ok, not true.  I can also be seen drinking coffee, reading comic books (every Wednesday), walking Runyon, vintage “everything” shopping usually lightly forced to by a certain girl and watching baseball.  

Any current rising stars within the genre that you would recommend we look out for? 
Laila Derakhshanian.  She has an amazing eye for photography and some great ideas.  I’d like to work with her soon. 

Why showcase at RAW?  
I think the idea is great.  It’s a sort of artist medley.  You decide to take a little of this and a little of that, add a DJ and your event is created.  Everyone benefits.  Exposure, fun, experience, and you make it so easy for the up and comers, new-to-the-areas, and the could-be-greats.  Wish me luck.