It's obvious that Nick Robles of Technicolor Dino sees the beauty in the little things - his custom Standard Wax ceramic vessels were inspired by a rag in his art studio! Read on to get to know this inspiring artist more. Hint: he's way more than just ceramics!
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Read on for an interview with Nick Robles of Technicolor Dino:
Where do you call home? I currently live in Seattle but growing up between Palm Springs and LA I'm a desert boy at heart. The open space and calmness you get from the sparse vegetation and rolling hills will always be my happy place.
Why do you create? This has always been a tough question for me. Creating is something I have done for as long as I can remember. It is as much a passion as it is a necessity. My creative process in its simplest form has always been to sit down with a sketchbook and contemplate on ideas that have either been brewing in the back of my mind or to think on something I’ve come across that inspires further exploration. This work is always a time for self-contemplation and a mental break from the constant check-list of daily tasks.
How do you bring art into your every day? For myself, I would say I see art the most through instagram, blogs, graffiti, and product design. As for my own studio practice, I pretty much always have a camera and notebook with me and I try to spend a lot of time in the studio tinkering, even if I do not have a specific project to focus on.
What gets you super excited about life? I love to play. The concept of play is a big part of my daily life and creative process. Giggling over the small things, riding bikes, exploring nature, travel, I know this can include SO MANY things but having a childlike playfulness and curiosity is a big part of who I am and I like to think this shows in my work.
Do you have a favorite artist? If so, who and why? Almost too many to mention, I began my “art career” as a printmaker which exposed me to so many people but to name a few: Philippe Halsman’s “Jump,” Richard Avedon’s “In the American West,” Ralph Steadman, and Joan Miro.
What’s your favorite place to get inspired? I get a lot of inspiration from walking around with a camera and finding patterns made by shadows, fun textures and color combinations found in advertisements competing for space.
What inspired the design for your Standard Wax Vessels? This glaze was inspired by a towel used to clean watercolor brushes. Most of the time the colors bleed and become one which is nice in its own way, but there was a specific time when I was left with a lot of white negative space between colors that created a beautiful wash of color as I unfolded the towel.
What’s something unique about your work that people won’t see anywhere else? I had to think hard on this question. In some ways I feel like most ceramicists since I use such basic forms, on the other hand I don’t see myself as a ceramic artist at all. I am a printmaker/works on paper artist who stumbled upon a fun exciting way to transition my abstract work to a three dimensional plain. Porcelain is my canvas, although I do love being in the studio with clay soaked hands I view my forms much like if I were to make my own paper. The color combinations I work with are in no way unheard of in the ceramics world but there is a smaller group of us out there. Growing up as a Mexican American, color has always been a part of my life whether I realized it or not. The combined love of color and play has transitioned into the freeform splashes and brush strokes visible in my work today.
Favorite City?
I always have such a hard time deciding on favorites since I am constantly evolving and changing. I also change my mind based on mood so much I think I will give you a few favorites of each
Lived - New York - I spent most of my time in Brooklyn. This was where I think I grew as an artist as well as where I did most of my adulting. New York will always have a special place in my heart.
Visited - Tokyo - I was only there a short time but it is one of the few cities I felt a need to go back for a much longer period of time to gain a real feel for the culture and find all the best nooks and crannies it has to offer.
Favorite Restaurant?
Rosa Maria’s - My grandparents opened it in 1975 and although they have passed, five of my aunts and uncles continue to run the family business. These are the flavors of home.
Pok Pok - Sadly Pok Pok closed its doors due to COVID but I worked at both the Portland and NYC locations across almost a decade. I’ve never been to Thailand but ohemgee the food was good. Like Rosa Maria’s this was one of nostalgia and found memories.
Favorite Museum?
I don’t think I actually have a favorite museum. Their are so many out there that are so great for so many reasons I genuinely can't decided
Anything else you’d like to share? I just want to thank everyone who took the time to read my responses to your prompts and say that I am super excited and a little nervous to see how the Standard Wax community responds to my work. THANK YOU!
