A New Form of Awareness
Diving into the surrealistic world of Jaime Zuverza
Appealing to the individual, we affirm that the revolution towards a better present and future begins with being oneself, in our purest expression, removing the most established and ingrained concepts of our being, while we relearn to appreciate magic within the everyday. And so, when we face the reality that we live in, which is increasingly immersed in the utopias and dreams created by some of our favorite surrealist artists, we enter the dream world of Jaime Zuverza, an artist from Austin, Texas, who with his colorful illustrations manages to convey his love for music, the bizarre, the unusual, his dreams, traumas and fears, his desire to communicate and connect through a visual connection that does not require words, and his extraordinary inner path towards self-development. Making us question and vibrate in a new tune that evokes a wonderful future.
Photo Courtesy: Jaime Zuverza.
Who are some of the artists and musicians that have influenced your creative universe?
My influences come from 10000 things but I'll just mention a few that capture the general mood that I've been seeking.
These songs: Richard Clayderman's version of Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata", Wendy Carlos's "Title Music from A Clockwork Orange" (which is a version of Henry Purcell's "Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary"). And also these paintings: Salvador Dalí's Necrophiliac Fountain Flowing from a Grand Piano, Hieronymus Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights (specifically the area on the Hell panel which depicts a demon composing a musical arrangement on a pair of butt cheeks).
What part of your subconscious serves as the greatest creative engine and continuous source of inspiration in your designs? Is it your dreams, wishes, traumas, phobias, fears or intuition?
Why do I make images? In part it is because this is something I was born with but also I have observed that most of the things you listed above also play a role: The yearning to experience new, mysterious, dream‐like environments that help me remember that I exist here and now. The desire to "love" and be "loved". The buried trauma of feeling disconnected (from parts of myself, from other humans, and from some sort of primordial source) and the attempt to communicate/connect through wordless means. The fear of being impactless and unappealing. The intuitive, almost imperceptible exchanges between my higher and lower self. The wish to find out more about my inner world and the need for money, shelter, and an endless supply of Takis.
What's your conception of utopia? How does it play out in your work?
Utopia is a fantasy and although I am very much attracted to fantasy, I seek to be free of dangerous delusions. Everything eats something and is eaten by something. Most of the troubles that arise in the world come from those with answers. If the goal is self-development, then friction and the questioning of everything is required. It is necessary to recognize the internal and external forces that are at play in our lives, and in order to get to know the outer I must get to know the inner.
I like to depict environments where nothing is at rest, where things are vibrating in varying degrees of friendliness and chaos; places where things ooze and emanate and perform on a stage of sorts. A mixture of both light and dark, where the sun shines and shadows are inevitably cast. These things create questions within me.
I remember coming home late one night and seeing a pair of young coyotes running around and jumping joyously up and down the street. There had been reports of coyotes eating neighborhood cats and leaving their half‐eaten carcasses on front lawns. The coyotes were undoubtedly looking for dinner or maybe they were happy because they had already eaten. This made me realize that even a murderous enemy can be adorable and have a family that they love.
Photo Courtesy: Jaime Zuverza.
The experience of looking at someone’s drawings can feel a lot like reading, so in that sense do you consider your works to be like a long saga or separate stories?
Yes, I consider my work to be a saga made up of interconnected stories. The images I make are like different chapters within the saga where characters reappear in new settings as they make their way through their journey. Maybe my tendency to work this way comes from my childhood love of comic books and Greek myths. Heroes and gods had their own odysseys but they eventually crossed paths with the other characters (who were also on their unique quests) in their universe.
In what ways does your love for music inform your work?
Playing, listening, and watching live music is the best. Musicians are my favorite kinds of people because they deal in vibrations and beauty and they get on stage and bare their soul. I don't judge musicians based on what kind of music they make or if it appeals to my tastes. It's a bit ridiculous when music lovers (who believe themselves to be all about peace, love, and understanding) think less of a human because of their style or creative output. I have a soft spot for outsiders and those things that are demonized. I seek to overcome the part of me that wants to judge, despise, and reject. A good example of this is my instinctive disgust for the cockroach. One night, I was feeling brave and I tried to cuddle with one that was creeping across the bathroom floor but unfortunately the roach was not into it. I can't say I would attempt to cuddle with a brown recluse though! I seek to be as accepting as possible in my work and I have an appreciation for what is considered the low as well as the high. I like the saying, "every one is a teacher and every thing is a lesson".
You’ve worked with so many great bands: LA Witch, Holy Waves, Flaming Lips and Kikagaku Moyo, but definitely one of my favorite works of you is the one you did for Sugar Candy Mountain. What was your inspiration and the process behind this?
I usually start a design with a smattering of random objects or shapes, which are then molded and rearranged intuitively, but I seem to often return to the idea of yearning for mysterious evocative spaces. I am in love with the atmospheres found in cathedrals, misty forests, grandiose volcanos, dark alleys, empty living rooms bursting with palpable quietness, etc. These kinds of places make time slow down and give rise to a special kind of awareness that makes me feel alive.
What kind of music do you listen to when designing a new poster?
First I listen to the music that the band has made to get an idea of what vibe I should pursue but then I usually require silence. Sometimes I need music that will help me work but the type of music just depends on my mood. Lately I've been working to what people might call elevator music.
What’s your story with Desert Daze?
I have worked with a handful of bands that have played and are associated with Desert Daze and I suppose working with them was just a natural step. They gave me the wonderful opportunity to make a poster for John Cale and My Bloody Valentine. I still haven't made it out to enjoy the festival but I hope to one day.
Photo Courtesy: Jaime Zuverza.
Where does your mind go when you want to escape your own reality? Have you created dreamlike utopias that you go to to have a bit of relief or do you wander reminiscing in the past?
Escaping reality is not really something that I want to do. I seek to find beauty and the good component in all things. I practice inner exercises, some of which include visualization and creating environments in my mind but not in an escapist kind of way. Most people ignore the inner world which is its own kind of reality. There's much hidden treasure to be found there.
I like to rearrange the rooms in my home/studio as often as possible and arrange the contents in unconventional ways that I find dreamlike and beautiful. Lighting is very important and I recommend to anyone reading this to ditch the overhead lighting that all homes are standardized with. Indirect lighting is easy on the eyes and I find that it improves the mood and atmosphere. My house is a cave of relief and sometimes it's hard not being a hermit.
Reminiscing about the past is sometimes unavoidable but I find that it is rarely useful unless it is used as a tool to recognize past mistakes and inform future actions.
Your posters transport me to the purest source of your thoughts, it is like being present in your mind when an idea is just forming, simply fantastic. Does the surrealist movement play a part when you’re creating something new?
I encountered the Surrealist movement when I was little and they saved my life. My whole world became enchanted after coming across their universe. I owe the beginnings of my desire to find liberation to them. Finding them is one of the most important things that happened to me. The whole reason I started painting in my early teens was so I could be like Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, and Yves Tanguy and this continued into my design work.
What creative outlets did you find within the solitude during these months?
At first, making art and music helped me immensely but it quickly became apparent that it wasn't enough. Without human connection and fresh experiences I shrivel up into a dark ball. This made me realize how cruel solitary confinement within the prison system is.
What do you think art and virtual worlds tell us about our own?
For me, one of the great things about image‐making is the pondering that comes after the image is finished. When I step back and take a closer look I begin to see things about myself and my situation. It is as if a hidden part within is trying to communicate with me.
What am I? Am I my thoughts? My emotions? My body? Am I this hidden thing within me that I sometimes catch glimpses of? If I am all of these things then why do they seem to be separate and not in agreement a lot of the times? Am I at the mercy of these things I have no control over? Is there a way to connect these things and bring them closer to a sort of harmony? These questions help to remind me that I need a new form of awareness. They also help to shed light on the areas within me that dwell in the dark.