Interview with the Artist: Gilberto Sandoval Rubalcava

The following article is an interview of Chicago artist Gilberto Sandoval Rubalcava. This interview is part of a series where our youth column highlights young creatives of color. If you or someone you know would like to submit your artwork or writing, comment down below.

Ada Marys: Tell me about your beginnings as an artist?

Gilberto: I dove into graffiti in middle school and was inspired by street graffiti. In 5th grade I tagged the school bathroom and got suspended. Growing up I saw a lot of graffiti and my friends and I saw it more as an art form rather than a gang related activity. We would hang out by the 16th street freight trains in Pilsen and we would eventually get access to art materials like spray paint and make that our hangout space. There were plenty of access points to those trains so it was easy to make that space our own. 

A: When did you become involved with Yollocalli?

G: In order to graduate from middle school we needed 20 hours of community service and a friend told me I could get those hours by taking a class at Yollo. This was around 2006-2007 and I did a printmaking class but I would end up taking several classes there after this. When I was there I was part of their theater class, which included acting and set design, and then I did screenprinting and murals. 

One year we did a youth led mural project where my group and I designed murals and then asked people in the area to paint their walls. We specifically targeted buildings that had brown paint covering old graffiti. We painted buildings on 26th street, the exterior building of yollocalli and the building across the street from the Cook County prison. 

I stuck with the mural program for about three years and it was definitely my favorite. It was an ego boost seeing my art at a large scale but also in places where people would see it all the time. 

A: I noticed you practice with a lot of different mediums. Do you have a favorite one to work with?

G: I really enjoy illustrating with just paper and pencil. I create digital art for work and speed since it’s more technical. But I enjoy drawing with paper and pencil because I get an immediate sense of completion and creation. Whereas with digital art you constantly have to think about multiple steps moving forward and backwards. For example, you have to think about clicking a pen, choosing the opacity, image resolution and things like that. With paper and pencil I can just draw and not have to think about all these extra steps. If creating art is akin to speaking a language, digital art is like learning a new language where you have to learn how to form sentences and works as opposed to drawing where you can just speak. 

A: There’s a lot of self-portraits in your work. Why do you gravitate towards drawing yourself?

G: It’s definitely not narcissistic but I’m more comfortable experimenting with my own image. I’m really inspired by Latin American literature and how they mention small distortions in reality that lead the viewer to question the bounds of reality. I can do the same with portraits by making small tweaks. There’s also a lot of fantasy in our culture, like La Llorana or even duendes. There’s a more whimsical life portrayed in Latino culture compared to Anglo culture. 

A: What impact does your Mexican heritage have on your artwork?

G: It’s influential in all my work because I draw from experience. It feels impossible to create art devoid of my culture, at least for me. As a child of immigrants, I’m fortunate to be able to go back to Mexico and have a refresher, as well as staying in touch virtually with cousins. It’s helped me stay connected with youth culture in Mexico. 

My parents were also adamant about my siblings and I learning about our culture. They felt it was important to know about our family and where we came from. 

A: Where are your parents from?

G: They’re both from Zacatecas. My mom is from Tabasco and my dad is from Huiscolco. The towns are by Jalpa. 

A: What’s the inspiration behind these two pieces?

G: My collages are usually made up of things that represent me or a place. You could say its self-portrait exploration with the intent to journal a trip.

The print is more of a fun piece using found materials. Looking back at this piece though, I found a post it on the folder that said “Chavo didn’t notice it was a McDonalds bag. Do we even notice advertisement?” 

A: Where do you want your art to take you? Do you want to be in galleries? Serving the community? Public Art? All of the above?

G: I just want to create. It’s more reactionary. I’ve always been inspired by Mexican American art like prints, murals, the museum [National Museum of Mexican Art], movies, etc. I saw all of this growing up and it helped me feel seen and I hope my work does that to other people too, especially youth.

A: What’s your current position at the National Museum of Mexican Art?

G: My position is Lead Educator and I lead the Arte Ambulante program. I’m really proud of my work and how it contributes to the museum’s mission. I’m a product of what the museum has done for the neighborhood and it was really formative to me as an individual and has given me so many opportunities. I love being a part of creating opportunities for kids to also get that same experience. I work with a lot of kids but even if one kid is inspired to dig deeper into their culture based on my workshops, or is inspired to learn more and ask their parents about their culture, I feel accomplished. 

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You can support Gilberto’s work by following him on instagram @gil18. Gilberto also designed coloring pages for a free downloadable calendar available at the National Museum of Mexican Art’s website.

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