Meet Ariel Mazariegos

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ariel Mazariegos.

Ariel, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’ve been interested in art my whole life. Throughout grade school, I was constantly drawing. I wanted to be an artist at a very age and I thought that meant drawing really well, so that’s what I did for a very long time. I would go home after school and draw. As soon as I got to college I learned a much greater deal of processes and about art in general. I initially gravitated toward painting, but soon really enjoyed sculpture.

At that time I was making a lot of facsimiles of everyday objects and painting snapshots I took. I applied to graduate school and moved to California from Louisiana. My work greatly developed in graduate school. It became more poetic and much more refined although I’ve always tried to keep a sense of humor present in my work.

However, I’m still interested in everyday objects and their capacity to tell us more meaningful truths. In school and presently, I change mediums quite frequently in order to best suit my idea. I enjoy working with a lot of processes including collage, video, and object making.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There are always struggles, but it’s a great challenge and when you see them through you learn a lot about yourself and your work. I can say presently that being in California with high rent, finding space is tough. It can change your practice if you make objects with no place to store them. That being said, I’ve moved into more artwork I can store on the computer which has manifested in zines I have been working on.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Ariel Mazariegos – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
As a maker, I am interested in the mundane. I use the material, process, and language to investigate this subject matter. Aspects of the mundane often comes from personal experience or memories. My final compositions are often very minimal with subtle delicacy and sincere humor. I am most proud of my ability to edit content. I find that it can be hard to not show every single thing you’ve done. Sometimes less is more.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I plan to make more zines or works in the edition. I like the idea of anyone being able to afford art. It makes it more accessible. I’d also like to find a larger space to work in.

Contact Info:

• Address: 12200 Moorpark Street
• Website: www.arielmazariegos.com
• Phone: 504-444-3984
• Email: arielamazariegos@gmail.com

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.