Dark and Deep. A Conversation with Jesse Draxler

Jesse Draxler has his own vision and his own world where his art lives in. His art is dark and deep; obscure but very clear at the same time. Cut off from the outside world, his visual language expresses his drive, hunger, and emotions. There are no references to the contemporary world in his work, but a steady stream of his inner feelings and inside colors. An artist on and on his own.

Gata: Let's look back at your university years, what were your expectations or dreams as an artist? Did any of those dreams become true?

Jesse: I didn’t really have any expectations or dreams, back then I was pretty much just biding my time. I guess ultimately I’ve always dreamt of freedom, gaining more and more freedom from the things I felt held me back, both internally and externally. In that regard, the dream has come true in some sense, but more so I am still working towards fulfilling it. Though it may be an unfulfillable dream because I keep resetting the bar I reach for which keeps me motivated.

Gata: Is there any artist, creative or person, that have influenced/inspired you during your career?

Jesse: Absolutely, too many to name. I continually rotate and expand on the things I put in front of my face and into my ears in an attempt to keep my mind and the concepts it contains fresh and evolving.

Gata: You have a "dark style" that may be disturbing to some people. Is there any personal attraction or fetish with macabre things?

Jesse: The formative years of my childhood were pretty dark, filled with severe accidents to family members, divorce, bullying, tragic death which I arrived to right after, and so on. It seems like a "dark style", as you say, is engrained into the fabric of my being, or is the lens through which I project the world. I wouldn't say its an attraction, per say, its runs deeper than that. I'm not attracted to macabre things, I am a macabre thing.

Gata: I read that your art is a therapy for you regarding some unknown memories. Is your art associated with sadness?

Jesse: Sadness seems too one-dimensional. Everything presents its own unique set of challenges or opportunities. Art has acted as therapy in the way I am able to express myself and work out ideas through it. It has been the tool I use to explore myself, the world within, and the world I perceive. It has been absolutely crucial in these pursuits, or you could say it IS the pursuit.

“I’m not attracted to macabre things, I am a macabre thing ”

Gata: Do you have any rituals as an artist? Any time of the day you feel especially inspired. Is there music or anything else that helps inspire your creativity?

Jesse: I wake up early each day, usually at the crack of dawn. I find it to be a very creatively fertile time when my mind is the freshest. I chose to not drive a car so I ride a bicycle as my main form of transportation. I run. I have a trainer who is teaching me boxing. I read a lot - philosophy, fiction, and graphic novels. I drink coffee and go to cafes. I watch television shows and movies. I cook. I smoke weed. I go to the ocean. I take photos. I listen to music. I travel to my tiny cabin to spend time in the woods of Wisconsin. All of these things I see as rituals in my practice. I am pretty obsessive-compulsive so rituals feel especially healthy to me, I am always looking to add more.

“I watch television shows and movies. I cook. I smoke weed. I go to the ocean. I take photos. I listen to music… I am pretty obsessive compulsive so rituals feel especially healthy to me, I am always looking to add more”

Gata: You worked for Kendrick Lamar and Alexander Mcqueen, what is it like to get to there, would you say that it is the “ultimate recognition as an artist” to work with clients of that level?

Jesse: To be clear the Kendrick Lamar illustration was for the New York Times, but yes, to work with clients of that caliber has a validating quality to it, and it is a true honor to be recognized on that level. It will never be taken for granted.

Gata: How did your “jump to fame” influence you as an artist? Do you have more freedom at work now that your art is worldwide recognized?

Jesse: I am extremely grateful for the recognition, but freedom can be subjective and recognition can work both ways. Like I said earlier, I keep resetting my own bar when it comes to that idea. I've always created work on my own terms, that will never change.