From Deja Vu to the Desert - Interview with Local Muralist Aaron Hansen
Aaron Hansen, Multidisciplinary Artist @arnhnzn
Aaron Hansen is a multidisciplinary artist and muralist who has been making waves in the Coachella Valley for quite some time. Using graffiti-esque techniques, his large-scale work is inspired by the natural landscape of the desert, deja vu, and the journey of the self to another dimension. He has won numerous accolades throughout his career including the Purchase Award given by the Anneberg Foundation and has had a variety of mentions in publications like Palm Springs Life and the Coachella Valley Arts Scene.
Working in partnership with F10 and David Richey, Aaron helped produce a local artist showcase known as the A.O.K or Art of Kraft at Birba which first launched about ten years ago. Since then we have collaborated with Aaron on numerous projects, including the making of the Cheeky’s coffee mugs that we all know and love, screen printing t-shirts, and most recently, Aaron was tapped to paint Frankie the Food Truck for F10 Love, Tara Lazar’s non-profit division of F10 whose mission is to bring food and education to underserved youth populations in the Coachella Valley. Read on below to learn about Aaron’s upbringing in Palm Springs, the inspirations for his work, and what we can expect from him in the near future.
F10 - Tell us where you were born and what your upbringing was like in the Coachella Valley?
AH - I was born in Palm Springs Ca, life was good growing up here. Basically living in a postcard out here, very quiet and always a few steps away from exploring the desert. It wasn’t as active as today though.
F10 - How long have you been working as an artist and how did you get started with large-scale paintings?
AH - My Tio taught me how to draw when I was around 7, he passed away around the same time though. Graffiti was my first introduction to painting a wall. I was 14 the first time I tried my hand at it. Murals came along later when I was like 19 and by 21 or so I was hired as a muralist coach for Palm Springs Unified School District. My Grandfather was a sign painter and muralist in Guanajuato Mexico. He had 3 sons that became artists and they all kinda fostered the arts within my generation. I took a few classes in high school and a couple at the college level but very basic stuff. Working with other creatives is really what made me who I am today. Every creator has a lifetime of skills, experience, and opinions that can be absorbed, sometimes they show you what not to do also lol.
Aaron Hansen original via Instagram
F10 - How has your work evolved over time and what do you think is the biggest difference you can see between your earlier works and now?
AH - It hasn’t been a linear evolution. In the beginning, it was very much just painting. I’ve collected multiple disciplines like graphic design, ceramics, screenprinting, finishing, woodworking, sign painting, etc. In the early days, it was sprayed paint and acrylic for art shows in galleries, I was somewhat of a studio artist crossed with graffiti writer, they call that a street artist now lol. These days not sure what I’m doing haha, my schedule goes all across the board now doing different types of projects. now, long as I’m creating, I’m satisfied. My work is really the art of Self Mastery at this point, each discipline and a new challenge is seen as an opportunity to fine-tune the true art piece that is me!
F10 - Tell us a little bit about your process for creating such large peices
AH - The very first thing is the site and the design. Large-scale projects are usually dual-purposed surfaces so they could have some aspects to them that require a very site-specific design. Also, they are normally public spaces or shared spaces so the themes must be neutral yet inspiring. The design process is the most important part because it will dictate the difficulty, time, and of course cost of the project. It’s a constant battle between the designer in my mind and the muralist that will have to do the work lol. always a tough call taming the artwork to fit the labor/budget allotted so I find that the artist in me will do more difficult tasks if the end result is something very appealing and satisfying to create. The actual painting is the easiest and most gratifying part of it. A mix of confidence, faith, and discipline is what sees large-scale stuff through to the finish line.
F10 - What / who has the greatest influence on your work?
AH - I would say Nature for lack of a more precise word. The patterns, the colors, timing of nature are all so magical. The sky alone is super impressive, our own configuration as living breathing human design is mind-boggling, flowers, seeds, light, geometry, all of it! Hope that’s not too vague but the divine timing of nature and its processes fascinate me and help me remember I’m part of that nature also.
The Making of Cheeky’s Coffee Mugs
F10 - How has growing up in the Coachella Valley impacted your work and ideas as an artist?
AH - You know, when I was a kid there wasn’t anything to do out here so graffiti and art helped fill that void. There wasn’t a Coachella fest yet, the housing boom hadn’t occurred, and we were literally just in the middle of the desert. In that sense it was free, anything goes kinda vibes. In contrast to the cities where everything is established, you see a lot of creators doing the same kind of thing, the hive mentality is visible. In the desert, it was all on you to make up your own understanding of what expression is or can be. If you were lucky or good you would make friends that could teach you, I’d say the craft was more guarded and territorial back then. Surprisingly though it’s a hotspot now and opportunities keep showing up, finally we are seeing a new branding for the valley that isn’t all about retirement communities, and art is needed now. The value of art is embraced more and more every day and I’m here for it haha.
F10 - How did you come to first work with F10?
AH - It must have been around 2010, I was introduced to David Richey in regards to doing some screenprinting for a few of their Palm Springs companies. It all started with T-shirts.
F10 - Tell us about some of the projects you’ve collaborated with F10 on over the years. What are your favorites and why?
AH - Lots and Lots of hand-painted logos, signs, and menus for brick and mortar locations and various pop-ups. Of course printing, thousands of t-shirts showed at a few of their art shows. I even made a couple of dozen coffee mugs for Cheeky’s but ceramics without a studio proved too difficult for me to sustain. I would love to revisit at some point though. And of course, I painted all their catering vans and food trucks. My favorite project is the latest food truck “Frankie” for one reason, the color and design is great and it’s a giant food truck - almost like painting a semi.
F10 - You’ve collaborated with us on a variety of projects, from screenprinting tees to coffee mugs and more, do you primarily consider yourself a painter, multimedia artist, or something else?
AH - You know I struggle to define my title and I’m not mad at it lol. Multi-Faceted Artist is as generic yet descriptive as I can get for a title. I try and think of myself in the same way we see gems of value. A raw diamond isn’t too special, but a diamond faceted in perfect balance and symmetry becomes extremely valuable. I’m constantly refining each craft I’ve learned and adding new disciplines when I can, the goal being to add dimensions while refining facets because each facet becomes a perspective and a reflection outward and also into oneself. If you only got one or two sides to your game you’ll look sharp but not necessarily invaluable haha. I no longer want to master a craft, I desire only to master myself.
F10 - Is there anything that sticks out as particularly meaningful when it comes to your working relationship with F10 over the years?
AH - That would have to be the obvious fact that they “GET IT”. Like man, not many people get it out here but F10 is definitely one of ‘em. They are aware of the value of authenticity and aesthetics, they respect craftsmanship. Their projects are always something you want to show off to people because their design is always well-thought-out and it usually brings out the best in me to execute.
F10 - How did the artistic vision for Frankie the Food Truck come to be?
AH - David Richey showed me the concept and I fell in love instantly! Because it was a vending machine food truck, laying a template flat would have some issues, and projecting would prove tricky because of the size. So David, Tara, and I agreed it should be freehanded! The colors also looked delicious but they had to be translated from digital hues to automotive finish so it ended up taking around 20 samples to find the perfect color combination for Frankie. The creative freedom to freehand the design turned the project into something relaxing and fun (like art is supposed to be) as opposed to the strenuous project it could have been. It was a group project for sure and went about as smoothly as it could have.
F10 - We know you recently produced some work for Coachella 2022, tell us about your experience?
AH - Ya it was fun, the event went dormant for a couple of years so to be involved with a couple of projects on the same year was a pleasant surprise. I came on to the project with MRBBABY to add a desert landscape for her characters. We painted a 6x100 foot mural in 3 days! The heat and wind really made it one of those projects that test you in multiple ways - like I said painting is the easiest part. It’s always great working with other amazing artists and trading tricks and perspectives too. I also was involved with a project LOVE crew had going on where ATTABOY created a “Miami Vice” Speakeasy concept in the festival called SONNY’S. My friend Jayson created their logo and we painted 3 walls with that graphic. The opportunities just show up on the phone every day, it’s a strange thing.
F10 - Do you have any projects or works in progress right now that you can share with us?
AH - Well F10 has a new food venture called HIGH PIE so that should be fun. I seem to always have an Airbnb on the horizon that needs a mural. One project I am excited for also is the Hilton group. They need some inspirational artwork in a hotel here for their staff and I’ll be doing my best to get into as many Hilton Hotels as possible worldwide.
F10 - What do you hope viewers take away from your artworks, what are some of the main messages or themes you try to convey?
AH - When I do make a piece with a message, it’s usually trying to show them what I call the 5th dimension. I don’t do political or social commentary anymore. The 5d to me is where that now lives, life happens with and for you, its the place where a drop of consciousness creates its first ripple. I try my best to visually explain that ethereal place. Dejavu, dreams, meditations, epiphanies, revelations, the 5d is where all those things can be found, and that’s why I like to remind people of that place with my work. I hope the observer realizes and honors the creator within them, the 3rd dimension would be a better place with more travelers from the 5d.
F10 - Are there any artworks or exhibitions you are particularly proud of?
AH - Well the standout one is from when I was about 21 years old or so. I won the Purchase Award from the Annenberg Foundation and received a $1,000 grant along with my painting going into the Palm Springs Art Museums collection. I’m most proud of that because in that era, at that age, the arts couldn’t be my job, or so I was told. But it would have taken me around 2 weeks to make $1000 with the job I was working - that experience made art viable, it was life-changing. The painting took one day on a $10 canvas. Every now and then the Museum shows it and I get a nice lil’ concoction of emotions and memories.
F10 - If you could choose one project from over the years that you think best exemplifies your aesthetic and vision as an artist, what would it be and why?
collection of work, for process videos visit @arnhnzn
AH - Man, I painted a Surreal Mural one time for my old High School. I must have been 27 or so at the time and the principal requested a dali-esque theme. I was honored to be chosen to paint my old school, after all, we would get in trouble for drawing on stuff back then lol. It had crystals, cosmos, desert, ocean, portals, everything I like and it didn’t get turned down! Having full creative control was the secret recipe. The title was “Ascension: A Journey to the 5th Dimension”. To me, it was exactly what the youth needed to see with the keywords being Ascend, Journey, Dimension. It represented what I wish someone would have shown me at that age, in my mind it was an opportunity to right a wrong in a sense, to fill a void. We didn’t have any art influence when I went there, never even knew murals were a thing really. From the context to the paint techniques there’s a lot to pull from it, it’s a visual offering to the youth. That project encapsulated my character too because I always like to exceed what the schools pay, I treat it like a matching grant in the sense that I give back twice what I receive.
F10 - Do you have any exhibitions or shows you want our readers to know about?
AH - Well I opened a boutique/gallery with my wifey the TiedyeQueen, in downtown Palm Springs. The space is constantly evolving and we would love for anyone interested in art to stop by! We are really trying to focus time on one location at this point and build it up. It’s called @Tiedye_Queen and is full of all kinds of handmade tie-dye, jewelry, and of course paintings - all created by locals, friends. We are at 515 N Palm Canyon suite B11 in the corridor.
