Chor Boogie Interview

Where are you from?

Chor Boogie: I’M ORIGINALLY FROM SAN DIEGO… OCEANSIDE… NOW I RESIDE AND HAPPILY CALL SAN FRANCISCO MY HOME…

How long have you been creating your art?

Chor Boogie: IVE BEEN AN ARTIST SINCE THE AGE OF 5 ..WORKING WITH THE MEDIUM OF SPRAY PAINT FOR ALMOST 2 DECADES..

How did you first get started using aerosol paint as a medium?

Chor Boogie: WHEN I FIRST USED SPRAY PAINT I I USED IT ILLEGALLY …HIT SOME WALLS ..HIT SOME AQUEDUCTS REALIZING BOMBING WAS NOT FOR ME… I STUCK WITH THE WHOLE ART ASPECT OF THIS MEDIUM FINDING MY SELF THROUGH TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS WITH MY ART WORK LET ALONE MY LIFE..

Over this past summer you’ve been quite busy traveling with your art. What do you do in your down time when you’re not traveling?

Chor Boogie: WHAT’S DOWN TIME…. WHEN THERE IS DOWN TIME I’M RELAXING…A BIT OF A WORKAHOLIC THOUGH… SOMETHING IS ALWAYS COMING UP WHICH IS GOOD FOR MY CAREER AS AN INDEPENDENT ARTIST.. I LOVE CREATING AND CREATING IS WORK I LOVE DOING…

Where all have you traveled with your art?

Chor Boogie: ALL OVER THE WORLD AND STILL GOING… CHINA, BRAZIL, AUSTRALIA, DUBAI, MEXICO, CANADA…ALL OVER THE US. SOON TO BE JAPAN, INDIA, AFRICA… JUST HAVE TO WORK OUT THE QUIRKS..

You were recently visiting Toronto to work on the Paint Your Faith mural. Was that your first time in Canada? How did you like Toronto?

Chor Boogie: YES IT WAS MY FIRST TIME IN TORONTO AND IT WAS AMAZING…. MET THE MOST FRESHEST PEOPLE AND REUNITED WITH SOME OLD FRIENDS…WHICH WAS NICE WITH IN IT SELF.. PLUS I GOT TO BLESS CANADA WITH SOME COLOR THERAPY…

Paint Your Faith was a large project working with three other artists: Elicser, Mediah and Siloette. Had you ever worked with any of the artists in the past? What are your thoughts on the final mural?

Chor Boogie: I’VE PAINTED WITH ALL OF THEM YEARS AGO.. WITH STORIES TO TELL…LIKE DRIVING OFF CLIFFS AND SUCH AND REALLY DEATH HOT WEATHER… GOOD TIMES… IT WAS AMAZING REUNITING WITH ALL OF THEM AND COLLABORATING AS ONE IT WAS A SPECIAL EXPERIENCE AND ALLOT OF LEARNING ABOUT ONE AN OTHERS  STYLES AT THE SAME TIME SINCE THE STYLES HAD ADVANCED SINCE THE LAST TIME WE ALL PAINTED WITH EACH OTHER…WHICH BRINGS US TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE MURAL WAS REALLY DOPE..

You spent a great deal of hours working on the Paint Your Faith mural. Any idea how many hours you put in?

Chor Boogie: WELL I WAS WORKING ABOUT 12 HOUR DAYS AND NIGHTS TOOK ME ABOUT 12 DAYS TO COMPLETE MY SECTION…SO 144 HOURS MAYBE MORE..

What was your best experience will you remember from your time in Toronto?

Chor Boogie: THERE WAS MANY… HAD A BLAST ..ONE TIME THAT STICKS OUT IS WHEN ME AND ELICSER WHERE WALKING HOME FROM PAINTING AT AROUND 2 IN THE MORNING AND WE SAW THIS LADY PRETTY MUCH NAKED OR WARING SOME TYPE OF DRESS THAT WAS ALL SLIT UP BUT YOU CAN SEE EVERYTHING LIKE IT WAS COOL..U KNOW SATURDAY NIGHT FREAKS.. WELL SHE WAS JUST CHILLING LETTING IT ALL HANG OUT AT A HOT DOG STAND..WE WALKED BY AND BOTH TOOK DOUBLE TAKES LIKE THIS ISN’T HAPPENING..BUT IT DID AND WE JUST BUSTED UP LAUGHING CRACKING JOKES ON THE WAY HOME…IT WAS CLASSIC ..BUT THERE WAS MANY OTHER MOMENTS OF TORONTO THAT WHERE MEMORABLE.

One of the things you’re well known for is the BoogieBird. How did you come up with the concept for the bird and how has it changed over the years?

Chor Boogie: THAT’S ONE OF MY CREATIONS ..ITS THE BEAUTY OF SIMPLICITY SINCE I CREATE ON SUCH A COMPLEX LEVEL…I NEEDED SOMETHING TO COUNTERACT THAT AND THAT IS THE BOOGIEBIRD.
REALLY I STUMBLED UPON IT.. I WAS ASKED TO BE APART OF A SHOW ON ALCATRAZ… THEY GAVE OUT THEMES …SOMETHING ABOUT ENDANGERED BIRDS (I THINK ) AND AND INDIAN TRIBE..SO I CHOSE THE BIRDS  AND THAT’S WHAT CAME OUT.

You aren’t big into sketching out plans for your paintings. How do you tackle your projects and paintings?

Chor Boogie: I JUST DO IT…. ITS 50% MIND 50% HEART WHICH EQUALS 100% BODY ADD 100% SOUL WHICH EQUALS 200% SPIRIT THEN ADD AN INFINITE UNIVERSE…EQUALS A CHOR BOOGIE CREATION

You use a large selection of amazing colors throughout your paintings, is there a color you’ve come across that you tend to use on a regular basis?

Chor Boogie: NOT REALLY I USE ALL COLORS I DON’T DISCRIMINATE..

You have some amazing techniques and great hand control. How did you learn and master your painting skills?

Chor Boogie: TIME, DEDICATION, HONOR, PATIENCE, DISCIPLINE, TRIAL AND ERROR, BELIEVING IN WHAT I CREATE AND ALWAYS BELIEVING I CAN TRANSCEND OR TAKE MY ART TO THE NEXT LEVEL. ONE THING I’M KNOW FOR IS THE UPSIDE DOWN TECHNIQUE..WHERE I INVERT THE CAN TO RELEASE THE PRESSURE SO I CAN GET REALLY FINE PRECISE DETAILS..

Do you have a favorite painting or project you’ve done?

Chor Boogie: NO… I BELIEVE ALL MY CREATIONS ARE AMAZING HUMBLY SPEAKING WITH HONESTY..I DON’T PLAY FAVORITES..

You’ve done some impressive details in limited space. What’s the smallest painting you’ve ever done with aerosol paint?

Chor Boogie: 2 INCH BY 2INCH BOOGIEBIRD PAINTING MORE THAN LIKELY THE SMALLEST PAINTING DONE FREE HANDED WITH NO ADDITIVES AND PRESERVATIVES.. IN THE WORLD WITH SPRAY PAINT.

What types of projects do you have lined up for the future?

Chor Boogie: SOME FUTURE PROSPECTS OF INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL AND PAINTING PROJECTS IN JAPAN, INDIA, ARGENTINA, MORE TBA…TALKS ABOUT A MOVIE WITH MY WORK AND THE BOOGIEBIRD
THERE IS A DOCUMENTARY BEING MADE ABOUT MY WORK AS WE SPEAK… SOME MORE GALLERY SHOWS AND WORKING ON SOME MUSEUM PROSPECTS AS WELL..

When are you coming back to Canada?

Chor Boogie: WHEN CANADA NEEDS ME TO BLESS THEM WITH SOME MORE COLOR THERAPY I’M SURE THERE IS SOME MORE IN THE WORKS AS WELL..

Do you have any last words for the Senses Lost readers?

Chor Boogie: MUCH RESPECT I LIKE YOUR STYLE AND STAY FRESH…KEEP IT LIVE …. THE SHINING..PEACE

Also as a bonus make sure to check out the Chor Boogie iPhone background.