PONO
Growing up working on west Texas and New Mexico cattle ranches, Pono began to shape his themes and characters from the legends and people of the southwest landscape. His work is best described as “Neo-Western”.
Painting with a strong graphic style and bold colors, Pono creates anthropomorphic characters that seem to be in the midst of overcoming struggle or adversity, which leaves the viewer to interpret the message or quest as their very own.
Hello. I am PONO, and I want to say I've been making art my whole life, but actually doing it as a full-time profession, I want to say 15 years.
I guess what really inspired me was seeing other people doing it. It resonated with me because I think art is like music—it’s universal. Anywhere in the world, you can hear music, and people can all converge on the idea of, “Yeah, I like this song.” It’s the same thing with visual art. It’s coded, it’s symbolic, and it has different meanings. It can be interpreted in so many ways.
At some point, I figured out that I had something to say, and I grabbed the closest thing to me to figure out how to say it. That’s what I’m doing now.
Lately, I think the pieces I’ve been working on are a step more in the direction I’ve always leaned toward—I feel like they represent life, the absurdity of life. Because life is absurd, I’d say these pieces, specifically, reflect the moment in time we’re living in right now—as a planet, as people, as a civilization.
There’s imagery in them inspired by things like propaganda. I’ve always liked propaganda posters. I’m especially drawn to the artwork from the Soviet Union—really interesting, striking work. I also really love the way figures are represented in that style.
I’ve also been really into the figures in Diego Rivera’s work—the movement, the shapes, the energy. But yeah, right now, my work feels like a reflection of the present moment, with a sprinkle of history that ties into where we are today.
The process usually starts with just kind of, um, honestly, it's generally reading some kind of crazy like crazy ass story, you know, like just something that happened, or I read a ton of history, or I'll go down like a Wikipedia wormhole. Just, you know, I end up like 100 pages deep.
Just like, oh, you know, getting my mind blown and shit, and I'll like to grab on to something, and I'll just, you know, follow it all the way, and uh, you know, that's one part of the process.
Then sometimes it's just like, you know, something appears in my head. I'll see an image or like, you know, a specific composition that I want to try out, and a lot of times those two things come together, and it's like, okay, I can use this composition, and with this idea in mind of like this story a lot it's very influenced by history
A lot of it is about using what’s around and available. I try not to spend too much time worrying about materials unless I have a clear, streamlined vision, like making 20 pieces that are two feet by two feet on sanded birch. Usually, I look for reclaimed materials, whether from job sites, construction, hand-me-downs, or whatever I can find.
I prefer painting on wood, but occasionally I use canvas because I like its tooth and the feel of gesso. My studio is outside, in a carport, and it’s like a wind tunnel. If you’ve ever been to West Texas, you know how bad the wind gets. Any art left out there gets hit by the elements, especially sand. It’s constant.
So I needed something that could withstand that. My friend Nick Buren, an awesome artist, was getting really good texture in his paintings. I asked him what he was doing, and he gave me the secret. I ran with it. I started using different types of aggregate, mainly joint compound or drywall mud, mixed with house paint. I do a lot of taping, basically stenciling, and apply it with drywall tools or palette knives. Then I mix that with actual painting, adding shadows with a watercolor brush and a bit of tint to add depth.
Art can be a very isolating experience. Any kind of art you create alone can feel that way. It’s rewarding, of course, because the process itself is why you do it, but sometimes you work for days without really talking to anyone. That’s why it’s important to make a habit of being social. Especially now, given where we are as a society, it’s easy for anyone to become isolated, not just artists. People spend all day online or playing video games. There’s nothing wrong with that, but you have to practice getting out of your comfort zone. The comfort zone will comfort you until it kills you. You need to make your heart race a little, get some adrenaline, and find a healthy way to release it.
For me, the biggest thing has been realizing that you need time with others. You need to build solid relationships and real friendships. It’s rewarding for everyone involved, being there for others and letting them be there for you. That matters.