|
C'Babi Bayoc more than rounded out the
couch with his news and views!
EXCLUSIVE C'BABI BAYOC INTERVIEWS
(Courtesy of Whudat.com)
THE VITAL STATS
Name: CBabi Bayoc
Profession: Illustrator/Painter
Representing: St. Louis, Missouri
Birthplace: Fort Dix, New Jersey
----------------
When
I was in junior high school I used to make my own comic books and all the
characters had these little peanut heads.. I guess you could call that my
style... I don't really draw anymore, but for you, what were some of the first
things that you drew as a kid?
As far back as I can remember.. I remember drawing Care Bears, Underdog and the
entire Peanut Gang.
Was anyone else in your family artistic?
My dad had skills, but unfortunately he gave them up before I came along. Like
most people, art didn’t make its way into his life. He had a thing for drawing
trees, and as of late I developed a severe passion in that same area. I’m
looking for a way to share that passion with an audience that has followed my
figurative and musical themes.
Some people are born with a gift, they have a calling, be it music or to flip
burgers, is art something that you feel you must do?
You said it perfectly. I know and understand that this is a gift that God
blessed me with and I intend to share that understanding to the fullest. At this
moment I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Everyday I long to draw or paint.
Who went down to mall to pick up that first set of creative tools for you..
and what were they?
My first tools of the trade were free pencils and computer paper from my mom’s
job.
What colors define your personality?
Blue, black, and orange. Blue, because I love jazz and other laid-back
activities. Black, because I am big into pen and ink, graphite drawings, and
black and white photography. And orange, because I occasionally get excited
about things.
Some of my best memories as a kid would have
to include eating cereal on Saturday morning and watching cartoons.. what
were... or I should say, what are, because you never stop loving the good stuff.
What are your favorite cartoons?
Smurfs, Snorks, Fat Albert (OF COURSE!), Tom and Jerry, Underdog, Woody
Woodpecker, Batman and Robin, Spiderman, The Jetsons…………and man I can feel some
others, but can’t remember the names.
Did watching cartoons drive you further into drawing?
Not really. I wasn’t one of those kids that found their calling when they were
younger.
There are stacks of books, dating back to the beginning of the century, that
detail art theory... the basics behind the craft. Did you go to school to learn
these disciplines?
No. Unfortunately, I didn’t pay that much attention. I wish I had, because I
truly appreciate the value in good design and penmanship. And I wish I had the
mental documentation to communicate what I see when I look at good work.
Is art theory essential for an artist to learn in order to develop his
skills?
I don’t’ think so. There are many a self-taught artist that have blown my mind.
Who are some of the artists that make you say "yeah, that's ahite...that's
hot!"
Maurice Evans, Paul Goodnight, Elizabeth Catlet, John Biggers, Charles White,
Ernie Barnes (he did all the art for “Good Times”), and myself at times.
You went to school at Grambling University.
What did you major in?
I received a Liberal Arts degree in Art with a speciality in drawing and
painting. Grambling did have a fine arts degree. The art department was not
accredited, therefore not given the recognition or status of say some other
school. It was kind of like just a school with an art department.
When you graduated how did you go about finding work?
I didn’t. My lazy ass stayed right there in my closet-sized apartment and
survived by means beyond my recognition. Luckily in 1996 (a year later), I was
commissioned to do a mural in St. Louis (where I was from), and I decided to
head back for good. Unfortunately, the mural never made it, but I was meant to
leave. I wasn’t doing a thing down there, but wasting away.
Who was your first client and what other companies have you worked with?
I went on a trip to Washington DC with two of my teachers, Ricky Calloway and
Larry Holston, to visit Ricky’s agent. While we were there, two of the agents
clients found interest in a drawing I brought with me, and I made about two
hundred dollars. I knew from there that it was on, and that, that was a feeling
I wanted to happen more often. As of late, I’ve had the privilege of working
with Coca-Cola, Prince, Universal / Def Jam, New Line Cinema, and several
magazines to name a few. I’ve been blessed.
Art vs. Money: people who make their living using their creative talents,
seem to always come to a point in their careers where they have to make a choice
between the two... have you come to that point and if so, was it a hard
decision?
I’ve always stuck with the art, and most of it is due to a super supportive
wife. Even when we’ve had to use our last coins to purchase beans. She’s
encouraged me to wait it out and do my thing. And fortunately, we are about to
start our publishing company and will be online in a month.
I see that's you've done pieces featuring
Busta Rhymes, Snoop, Morgan Freeman... is their something about a person's face
that inspires you to create something or were those commisioned works?
That’s how it works. The photos almost always choose me and beg me for a little
enhancement. So naturally I oblige them. But most of what I have done has been
for fun. I am going to have a HUGE show in New York in the near future with my
caricatures as the theme. Keep an ear open.
I should have asked this earlier.. what do you use to create the pieces...
paint, inks, pencils?
I use primarily graphite, pen and ink, and acrylic. I used to work in oil but
got tired of the fumes and the drying time. I like to work fast, and acrylic
dries while your painting. I also dabble with pastels (chalk) every now and
then.
You did the album cover for the Violator
compilation, are you gonna be doing anymore work like that because I saw a
picture of Lauryn Hill that you did that would look really good sitting on the
rack of a record store.
I’m working on volume two of the Violator crew. I would like to do more covers.
But I am really interested in doing commissioned black and white caricatures for
the stars themselves. That is one of my ultimate goals.
You've also done some work with Prince?
He’s purchased eight of my originals.
How do you pronounce your name?
Kuh Bobby
Is that your real name or is it an acronym....what do the letters stand for?
It’s both my legal / real name and an acronym.
Cbabi stands for Creative
Black Artist
Battling Ignorance
and Bayoc stands for Blessed
African Youth
Of Creativity.
That's a perfect way to end this interview... we'll leave it right here, on a
positive note.
Thanks for talking with us today. And I'll look out for that New York show.
I enjoyed it. Peace.
|
