Holding Out For A Zero: NYC Artist Profile
You would expect an artist whose entire image is built upon a numerical foundation would have a mathematical background (or at least an interest in the subject) but this is not the case for New York City based artist, Zero. We caught up with the self-proclaimed mathphobe to discuss the transitions he has made throughout his artistic career and what the future has in store.
The Jotter: Tell us a little about yourself.
Zero: My name is A'Van and I go under the name Zero as it's my favorite number. It can be added in front of or behind numbers and multiply or decrease them just that easy and it's not positive or negative. That's just some reasons why I like the number 0. I feel like it's balanced by itself and I like to think I hold a certain sense of balance as well. From that I came up with a concept based around math- the irony is that I hate math. Anything past the simple, general, need to know facets of math? Count me out. I thought it would be cool to incorporate things I don't like and combine them with things I do. My main character you'll see is called a decimal. It's basically the embodiment of a decimal point and from that I just ran with it.
"My main character you'll see is called a decimal. It's basically the embodiment of a decimal point and from that I just ran with it."
I have a series of characters I'm starting to develop such as my newest clown and I plan on telling their stories through my work. I also designed a toy and worked with a production studio to produce a small run and plan to do more this year. Abstract is definitely my favorite niche and I try to incorporate my love for colors and detail into solid pieces.
TJ: Why did you decide to create a toy based on your work and how was the process of creating this? Was the transition from painting on a flat canvas to translating this into a physical object difficult?
Zero: I love toys. I can't express that enough. My collection doesn't reflect my love for them because:
A. Who the hell has $375 to drop on a 1000% Bearbrick every time they see one they liked or example? B. Where am I putting them all? But there's something about walking into a space accented by figures or statues.
A lot of the ones I really want are thousands now and I just thought "Hey I'll make my own and maybe acquire other artists' works in the process." The imp statue was an extension of my clothing line called Impped. It was originally called Imp based on the character that started the whole idea, but I got a cease and desist in the mail one day from a company started in the 1930s that made fucking "trousers and baby clothes" as started in their trademark named Imp Originals. I mean imagine being 19 receiving that big ass encyclopedia sized stack in the mail with 100 places to sign. Anyway, I decided to see if I could make a toy. Just for the hell of it. I got this artist I liked on deviant art to reimagine my idea in a different light and assist with the mock ups. It took me ages to find the studio I worked with. I'd stay up late and just Google until I dropped. Once they agreed to take me on it felt surreal. It was a suuuuper long process because of time zone differences, my funds, Mother Nature, proofing samples, national holidays, and staff being laid off and hired during (they were in the Philippeans). After many many many emails and PayPal transactions, I got my finished product. I met a girl at the time and she happened to come by that day to hang. When UPS knocked and I brought that big box into the lab I couldn't believe it. Finally had it in my hands after all that. And for her it was like "oh shit I just met this guy and when he said he designed a toy at the bar the other night he wasn't kidding". I won't lie I definitely got laid 10 minutes after that package arrived so the moment was just amplified tenfold.
"I won't lie I definitely got laid 10 minutes after that package arrived so the moment was just amplified tenfold."
I learned a lot about the process and what materials to use in the future but even though it was a headache or looked like it wouldn't happen at all at times it was worth it and now that I'm working on a completely different vision I plan to release another this year. Now that I've found my own way I'd be handling the mock ups so the flat to 3D transition will probably be that much more real for me. Way better outcome I hope.
TJ: As a resident of New York, has the city influenced your work and if so, how?
Zero: As a resident of New York the city has influenced my work in a number of ways. I think the main way it has influenced me is bringing me to the point of finally putting instrument to medium with a serious goal in mind. I'm into fashion and I collected sneakers since I was 14 so that whole scene around the time I stepped into it was just an experience I'll never forget. Watching many brands and artists around me start up or even continue to carry out their craft before the huge wave of "hypebeasts," as they were dubbed, was great. Knowing I possessed an eye and knack for creative outlets in the arts, I ran after clothing and starting my own brand. Throughout that whole stretch, which wasn't long at all, I learned the word aesthetic and how art added to EVERYTHING in some way shape or form. I decided to bring the clothing line to a complete stop and in doing so I began to express creativity in other ways. Writing manga scripts and thinking of products to design.
"I'm going to just fucking create..." Is what I said to myself and I haven't looked back since."
I always knew I wanted to make things I enjoyed myself. Toys, household goods, furniture. Just lifestyle items that were crafted with detail and care. One day I went to 2 KAWS exhibitions in one day and seeing canvas and statues in the same place, I think, caused everything to click shortly after. Everything I saw as cool on a daily basis I could make. All the art I saw was as great as I could create myself. "I'm going to just fucking create..." Is what I said to myself and I haven't looked back since. My mother is an artist so art was always a part of my life and I guess that's why it took a while for me to find my place. I didn't know I was always sitting in it. Everything cool exists in my city in some form and just seeing so many things that have stimulated my imagination walking down the street or standing in line at a store helped me piece together my own vision. So I guess in short the answer is New York has a way of bringing you full circle if that's where you need to be. I started off wanting to be Bape and now I just want to build a brand known for all things aesthetic using colors and whatever my mind conjures.
"New York has a way of bringing you full circle if that's where you need to be."