5 questions with matt stallings

Matt Stallings might have been born in Ventura County's small town of Ojai, but he was destined for big things. He's been an illustrator for four years and has recently picked up painting again, which has been more of a learn-by-doing process. Stallings finds inspiration in the uncomfortable, offbeat, and generally unpopular. Whether cruel or comedic, he has an appreciation for humanity's flaws, such as when he saw a homeless man with a beer belly wearing a mini skirt and holding a sign that said, "Need money for a sex change. I'm not hungry." Along with his brother, Jeremy, Stallings owns a graphic-design and web-development company called Ninthlink. He is also combining his newfound love of painting with several web-based products in hopes of furthering the growing art community.

matt stallings

01. Describe the concept(s) behind your interpretation of Select Flavor?

JC: When I think of Select Flavor, I think of style. When I think "style," the first thing that comes into my head is a mullet with lines shaved into the side of the hair. I wanted to capture fun and movement, so I added lines of color to communicate those good times.

02. Give a brief sketch of the creative process you used to realize your Select artwork?

MS: My ideas tend to stem from things in my life that I have seen. I then meld them together into one single thought on canvas, wood, and even paper. Most of my work looks like the inside of my head. I hear, see, and smell multiple things at once; I think most people call it ADHD. So I usually stare at a wall, watch TV, or just sit outside on a busy street in downtown San Diego and wait for something awesome to happen.

If you could set up a studio anywhere, what location would you choose, and why?

MS: I would choose downtown San Diego's Little Italy because of its modern architecture and environment. There is never a shortage of crazy people on the streets of San Diego, so I always have inspiration at my fingertips.

04. Who or what inspires you to make art?

MS: My mom and dad encouraged me to be creative in the midst of a lifelong struggle with scholastic hurdles. Art class was the only place I felt rewarded for my efforts, not punished with bad grades. My wife made me pick up my paintbrush again four years ago. I always find creative ideas and inspiration in the everyday. When it comes to artists, I would say Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat are my heroes.

05. What other projects are you working on - or dreaming about working on - right now?

MS: I am currently painting for a big group show in LA called GREEN curated by Mark Murphy at Robert Berman Gallery. I would love to work on a huge campaign where my artwork is seen internationally. I am also interested in combining animation with my artwork.