"The ultimate underlying message to the street art I do is that of freedom of speech/expression."-NOMAD
A well respected urban artist, the work of San Diego’s NOMAD is a wandering voice of freedom and self expression. One that has been embraced by the FleshCap family. Join us as the hooded bandit sheds light on his mysterious identity.
Tell us about yourself, who are you as an artist?
N.O.M.A.D. is the name/brand I go by in the art world for a variety of reasons but mainly to separate what I do with art from my day job. N.O.M.A.D. cranks out artwork into the public space when time and energy permits and in various forms with and without messages. I started off a few years ago with stenciling, poster design, tshirts, zines and stickers and since then have evolved into also doing public installations both legal and illegal, sculpture, painting, graphic design for local bands, magazines and cultural organizations.
Describe the moment when you realized that artwork would be an important part of your life.
-Basically I realized it’s importance once it helped pay bills and opened up a whole new world of opportunities.
A FleshCap-NOMAD collaboration for FleshCap's Sacred Mushroom Art Gallery.
What types of art mediums do you prefer to work with? (acrylic, oils, urban canvases, stickers, etc.)
I don’t have a preference really. It just depends on which medium best suits my ideas and what’s available at the time.
What messages do you hope to send through your artwork?
The ultimate underlying message to the street art I do is that of freedom of speech/expression.
What art scene(s) do you most closely identify with?
I guess the bar scenes since they have so many regularly weekly/monthly events goin on nowadays.
Like many street artists, NOMAD displays his work on the urban canvas.
What other artists have influenced your work?
Shepard Fairey and David Choe are my main influences, Fairey’s work ethic and Choe’s style.
How has your style evolved over the years?
My style evolved to be more layered and textured. Soon, I think i’ll be working with a more colorful palette but still remain iconic.
How do others perceive and/or react to your artwork?
I’ve had a variety of reactions, good and bad to both my canvas work and the stuff I put out in public like my posters/stickers. The haters hate quietly and the fans let me know they wanna collaborate on something, ask me for stickers and come to my art shows.
How have you collaborated with other artists in the past?
With some artists, we merely combined our characters. Sometimes, I provided a background and other times, artists create their own rendition of my character.
What current projects are you working on that we can expect to see in the near future?
Currently I’m working on After School Special’s EP cover which will be released in March this year. They’re a local hip hop/alternative rock band. I’m also workin on a couple of pieces for this tropical themed art show in Feb.
Is there anything you would like to comment on regarding the Fleshcap movement?
It’s really cool that it helps those who discover it to at least have this inner dialogue and snap out of the usual auto pilot mode most of us are in most of the time. I’m curious on how the movement will grow and expand. There should be a Fleshcap mushroom patch in every city.
NOMAD is hosting a benefit show this Friday February 6th. Visit his MySpace for details.
Related Links:
- Shroom Stencil Templates by FleshCap
- How to make Graffiti Stencils by FleshCap
- Gallery of Shroom Stencils by FleshCap
Click on the banner to get free shroom stickers!
