(gentle music) (dramatic music) - Christopher Evans' grotesque art offers a unique perspective on economic violence.

Chat with Albany based screen printer Drew Suarez and catch a performance from Victory Soul Orchestra.

It's all ahead on this episode of AHA.

- [Announcer] Funding for AHA has been provided by your contribution and by contributions to the WMHT Venture Fund.

Contributors include the Leo Cox Beach Philanthropic Foundation, Chet and Karen Opalka, Robert and Doris Fischer Malesardi, and the Robison Family Foundation.

- At M&T Bank, we understand that the vitality of our communities is crucial to our continued success, that's why we take an active role in our community.

M&T Bank is pleased to support WMHT programming that highlights the arts and we invite you to do the same.

(upbeat music) - Hi, I'm Matt Rogowicz and this is AHA, a house for arts, a place for all things creative.

Christopher Evans is an artist and educator living in Boston Lake, New York.

His art is eye catching, often colorful, vibrant, and intricately detailed, but behind all that there's something very grim and grotesque about it all.

- I am a two dimensional artist and I work with paint and any drawing implement I can find.

(chuckle) Color is fun and it kind of brings a lightheartedness to my work, which like I'd have to because then it's way too serious and dark for, for me to be thinking about for hours on end.

I make art primarily dealing with the critique of capitalist social structure and I try to do that by showing how human beings are commodified as flesh and meat and not valued as humans.

I grew up very Evangelical Christian and so, like, content moderation, it's huge.

I was homeschooled and, you know, only had curriculum that was, like, approved by focus on the family and wasn't allowed to, like, obviously read comic books, watch TV and so, I originally, like, started drawing to copy comic books so I could keep them.

I wanted them to look like the comic book pages so I just practiced until I copied them and I think a lot of artists are kind of like gate kept by like the, the talent myth.

It's a learned skill.

I got my degree in communications and mass media and was like, mostly stuck in different sorts of sales positions.

I don't know if you've ever had a like, a job where you're just trying to survive.

It's tough and even if it does, like, pay well it, like, kind of sucks the life out of you and, so when I was 26 or 27, I just decided, like, I could at least be able to make art my whole life if I was an art professor.

As soon as I decided that I was like, like, felt at peace.

Like, I finally, like, just the decision was all I needed.

If you see, like, I call my sad boy paintings, there's a recurring, like, growth on my shoulder that's, like, digging its fingernails in me.

I had a disconnect with, like, my identity.

I felt alone even though I was, you know, had a loving family.

That all changed when I got my autism diagnosis and it clicked.

All of my work was about being autistic but I didn't know it.

That's very one dimensional and it's not a good portrayal of the overall community.

I don't know any other autistic people that just only want to be identified as autistic.

And so my overwhelming compulsion to hyper fixate on social injustice became, like, my focus.

(obscure music) Humor's the most subversive force.

You get 'em to laugh and then they will listen to you a little bit more because at first, I was just like, I need to, like, build this alternative universe to kinda show my message and so I created the, the thumb people.

You know, a mutant race of oligarchs, you know, cheering on violence for sport.

Ultimate fighting, football, and then moved into just the kind of straight, like, meat portraits.

I just felt, like, we don't need to be reminded about the thumb people, we need to be reminded about what they're doing to us.

You know, I had that picture of a guy, like, on a cigarette break, you know, cutting up all his meat but then, like, the irony of it is, like, he's also the product for that company and he's also, like, being slowly butchered.

I felt, like, that was a really great and that was kind of, like, the turning point and kind of put me into the direction of just, like, portraying humans and, like, both victims and perpetrators.

And this is a work in progress.

I think with this, the shape, it'll be, you know, shrink wrap styrofoam square, like you're used to getting your ground beef and, and steaks, and probably a little label explaining who he is and what his qualifications are and, you know, what his hourly rate is.

I just want people to think about, like, themselves and their value and their worth.

- Andrew Suarez is an Albany based screen printer with a passion to unleash all the pent up creativity in the capital region.

His brand, Fifth Place, was built around inspiring and uplifting others to stay in the race and follow their dreams, here's Jade Warrick with more.

- Hey, what's up Drew, welcome to House for Arts!

- What's going on, thank you for having me.

- Of course, excited to talk things all Fifth Place, this amazing tour you have coming up, so to begin I wanna know what is Fifth Place and how is it in art form and what do you do?

- So Fifth Place is a brand out of Albany, New York.

I created it back in 2013 and first it started off with just screen printing and doing designs, clothes, and whatnot.

But over the years it's just grown into a community, events, teaching classes about screen printing, even business, and just overall, just building a community and life through clothing.

- What's the name Fifth Place though?

Why Fifth Place?

Why is that important?

- Fifth place 'cause I'm in last place throughout my, throughout my life I've always failed, I'm always last.

I've always had less, I've always done less, and, but I've been able to do more and Fifth Place, the name Fifth Place is because in the future I will be first, you know?

and it's about the tortoise and the hare, that slow and steady wins the race, and I just wanna show people that somebody that's in last place, on the fifth place, but we're still making it work, we're still making it happen, so I wanna inspire people with the name, you know?

Even though I'm last, I'm still first.

- Yeah, and I know you talk a lot about, you know, failure and, like, what that means, so, and it's a little bit a big part of your brand, so why is failure a big part of your brand?

Like why are, why, a lot of artists are not really comfortable with even expressing their failures?

You only see the good things but you show the good and the bad, so why is, why is showcasing your perspective of what failure is a big part of your brand?

- In order to be great in life, you have to fail, you have to make mistakes.

So, if you're not making mistakes or if you're not failing, you're not trying, and I honestly look forward to my next failure, I like failing.

It, it sucks for the time being, you know, obviously I have my down days but I always bounce back from it, find the positive out of it, and just keep it moving, we add that failure to my portfolio and I'm excited for the next.

- [Jade] Yeah.

- Because it's always growing.

Every time you fail you will always grow from it, no matter what.

- Yeah, it's kind of how they say, there's no peace without war, there's no growth without failure, you know?

- Exactly.

- So I know you have a lot of Albany and local imagery in your work, so why is Albany and showcasing local imagery in your work so important to your brand, and to you?

- Well, I've lived in Albany for 20 years and it's been a lot of my growth, you know?

I've learned a lot over here.

I raised my son 10 years down in the South End, so a lot of my designs have to do with that neighborhood, I. Lincoln Park, Cherry Hill, I did a collaboration with the local bodega, so why not do clothing or shine light on places that resonate with me, my family, and what I've noticed is not many other people shine light on Cherry Hill, Lincoln Park, Madison, lower part of Madison Ave, South End.

So I just look to showcase and highlight the neighborhoods that nobody else is really talking about.

I just love the South End, there's, I feel like that has the most life out of Albany - And it doesn't get a lot of love, so it's great that artists are coming in and really, like, putting it on and showing the value that that community has.

I know community and connection, and gathering, is a big part of your work, you have this beautiful studio, you have people come in, you invite people to just, like, work and stay, so how is this connection and community piece a big part of your work and why are you so intentional about bringing it into the Fifth Place brand?

- We've grown, so I was printing and doing everything out of my house and it was very fun, it was cool but you start to realize that there needs to be a separation between work and, and home.

You know, it would, it's cool, it was fun to print in the house but on my days off when I'm not printing, I still see my printing press and I still get the, like, I, I feel like I should be working in my own home, you know?

And, so, three years ago I reached out to Jonah, that does around Albany, and I, I ask, "Hey, do you know of a studio that, anywhere in Albany that I could rent?"

And Jonah plugged me up with this studio that I have that I'm renting now in downtown Albany, in the Arbor Hill District and I've been able to grow significantly from it.

I host classes there.

I teach youth, screen printing, I teach adult screen printing.

It's been a hub of just creative, so people that are on my team as well, they have a key to the studio and they could go there whenever, work on their stuff, if it's screen printing, embroidery, sewing, photography, video.

I just wanted to provide something that I didn't have coming up as an artist.

It's just a space that you can just zone into whatever craft that you're specializing in or trying to learn.

I think it's great, I, I, I'm super thankful of it and thank you to, to, to all that have helped me to get to there, so.

- It takes a community, right?

It really does take a village.

- A hundred percent.

- So let's talk a little bit about this tour you have coming up, this is something I've never really seen anybody do in the area.

- Thank you.

- So I'm just like, what's this tour?

What's the goals and why?

(chuckles) - These are great questions, yes.

So, throughout the years that I've been traveling, every time that I say that I'm from New York, they, "Oh, are you from Brooklyn, Manhattan?"

And I say Albany, they don't know anything about Albany.

And it kind of frustrates me where I have to, like, give a lecture of Albany everywhere I go across the world, so like, now I'm just gonna go put Albany on the map and just drive and shake hands with everybody, across the US, showing people why I feel, like, Albany is a unique and great place to live.

Showcasing the brand's message.

Showcasing that, what a community can do if everybody puts their mind together, we raise the money, we all work together.

So I want to inspire other people in other cities and states that they can do exactly what, what I did, you know?

it's a journey.

It's a true journey.

It's 45 days on the road, 25 different cities, 10 different events, all in one van.

Those 10 events are different depending on which state.

Some states are skateboarding events, some states are hip hop, some states are rock, some states are just screen printing events.

Also doing business with other screen printers and other crafts, taking classes from people across the US, I'm gonna learn other screen printing techniques from other people.

I wanna show people that the grassroots way of growing a business, of just meeting people, shaking hands, and genuinely making a relationship will never go outta style.

- Never.

- In an era that everybody's just talking through the phones and whatnot, it almost makes it even more of a, a stronger bond when you, when you meet with somebody in person and also, I wanna shine light to the Fifth Place people around the US and give people opportunities that they've never had before.

- It kind of goes with that slow and steady approach, you know?

And I do agree, the grassroots approach, I always tell this to my students, always works best 'cause it's intentional and it's authentic, and that's what truly matters- - For sure.

- [Host] At the end of the day.

So let's tell folks how they could get involved in this tour, where they go to learn more about it, get involved.

- So, the great thing and the most unique thing about this tour is you can essentially win a seat to go travel across the United States.

So we leave Albany in July and you can apply to be in the van on fifthplace.com.

We're leaving July 8th week 'cause I wanna show, like I said before, the world here, United States, that if a community works together, you can a, truly achieve, like, a lot of great things, so.

- [Jade] Yeah.

- That's what I look to, to show with this.

- Well, awesome.

Well thank you Drew for joining us today.

Hope folks get involved, it sounds like an amazing tour and I'm definitely gonna be keeping my eyes on it, and I appreciate you for stopping by today.

- Thank you so much.

- Please welcome, Victory Soul Orchestra.

(synth keyboard plays) ♪ Love you forever ♪ ♪ You know I'm loving you ♪ ♪ We're on our honeymoon ♪ ♪ You know I'm loving you ♪ ♪ We're on our honeymoon ♪ ♪ You know I'm loving you ♪ ♪ We're on our honeymoon ♪ ♪ You know I'm loving you ♪ ♪ This is our honeymoon, she said ♪ ♪ What sign are you ♪ ♪ I said a sign from God ♪ ♪ Yeah, I said what I said, she laughed way too hard ♪ ♪ I thought it was cap ♪ ♪ I'm like, nah, I'm a Libra ♪ ♪ She was like, oh snap, me too ♪ ♪ The rest is history ♪ ♪ I vividly remember our first date ♪ ♪ It was a long bike ride ♪ ♪ We talked the entire time ♪ ♪ We laughed at our past pain, mistakes and stains ♪ ♪ Through past being made ♪ ♪ Dreams, hopes and fears, worst nightmares ♪ ♪ At times, we didn't care ♪ ♪ In moments we would rather forget like past regrets ♪ ♪ Hopes for the future and how we managed death ♪ ♪ She's my person.

♪ ♪ When you know, you just know that's how life works and ♪ ♪ An honest woman, I made her ♪ ♪ That's how the old saying goes, I'm glad I still paid her ♪ ♪ Yeah, you know, I'm loving you ♪ ♪ We're on our honeymoon ♪ ♪ You know, I'm loving you ♪ ♪ We're on our honeymoon ♪ ♪ You know I'm loving you ♪ ♪ We're on our honeymoon ♪ ♪ You know I'm loving you ♪ ♪ This is our honeymoon ♪ ♪ I still have the same wrists, I had from the beginning ♪ ♪ I'm still whipping that curry in the kitchen ♪ ♪ So I'm winning ♪ ♪ I'm like Chef Boyer with the pot and spoon ♪ ♪ Like this was 88 on the block, going hard with my ghouls ♪ ♪ But now I'm seizing ♪ ♪ She is my old maid ♪ ♪ Bringing that allspice together, wearing entree ♪ ♪ Easy on the eyes, a lot to digest ♪ ♪ So full of love but I digress ♪ ♪ I confess I've been blessed plus highly favored ♪ ♪ I guess I still find ways to make space ♪ ♪ For grace and mistakes ♪ ♪ It's not that serious, let it go ♪ ♪ It's not about winning, change with the flow ♪ ♪ Compromise is everything ♪ ♪ Don't let it get so bad you compromise your wedding rings ♪ ♪ Whatever the best decision is, make it ♪ ♪ Chances, take it ♪ ♪ Memories, create it ♪ ♪ Yeah, you know I'm loving you ♪ ♪ This is our honeymoon ♪ ♪ You know I'm loving you ♪ ♪ We're on our honeymoon ♪ ♪ You know I'm loving you ♪ ♪ We're on our honeymoon ♪ ♪ You know I'm loving you ♪ ♪ This is our honeymoon ♪ ♪ You know I'm loving you ♪ ♪ We're on our honeymoon ♪ ♪ You know I'm loving you ♪ ♪ We're on our honeymoon ♪ ♪ You know I'm loving you ♪ ♪ We're on our honeymoon ♪ ♪ You know I'm loving you ♪ ♪ This is our honeymoon ♪ ♪ Love you forever ♪ ♪ Forever ♪ ♪ And ever ♪ ♪ Love you forever ♪ ♪ Forever ♪ ♪ Forever ♪ ♪ Forever ♪ ♪ This is our honeymoon ♪ - Just 'cause you get married doesn't mean it stops there.

You gotta live the rest of your days with your partner like you're on a honeymoon.

The name of this song is called 'Honeymoon Forever' because that's how we should be as a couple.

(synth keyboard plays out) Thank you.

(synth keyboard and saxophone plays) So once again, ladies and gentleman, we are Victory Soul Orchestra, (indistinct) or JB and the DMs, I don't know, however you want to call it.

I am JB aka Dirty Moses.

To the immediate left of me, on the tenor sax Joe Paparone.

Behind Joe on the guitar, we have Chris Malloy.

Look at that smile, ladies and gentlemen, he's just so adorbs!

To my right, he's trying to give a smirk not a smile, but he's gonna be here for a while, this is my keyboardist, Ryan Devine, we call him Devo because he's so devoted to the music.

And on bass, another smiling gentleman, Brad Monkier.

Did I say it correct?

Alright, I just wanted you to laugh, that's all.

And again, I am JB aka Dirty Moses but behind me, he thought I forgot him.

I could never forget you!

You're my buddy!

Nick Palazeke, on drums.

The name of this tune here is called 'Black Boy Magic'.

♪ Heavens to Mega Troy, this is black boy joy ♪ ♪ So don't act coy ♪ ♪ Magic grew hope, vegan ♪ ♪ I'm not a Puerto Rican but I speak it so that you know ♪ ♪ Bendicion ♪ ♪ Count your blessings, never count me out ♪ ♪ I am here to wreck it ♪ ♪ Yeah, I'm putting candy in my message ♪ ♪ Easier to digest but you can't match our ethics ♪ ♪ I'm setting the standard ♪ ♪ Raising the bar ♪ ♪ I'll give you these bars, that's food for thought ♪ ♪ This a different revenge with, I'm among the stars ♪ ♪ I'm considered a star over your head, like dandruff ♪ ♪ Paint a picture with birds, Basquiat ♪ ♪ Take you to another time and space, like an astronaut ♪ ♪ I'm worth it, not perfect ♪ ♪ I'm gonna give you this version ♪ ♪ Sophisticated, brilliant, shining, brighter in person ♪ ♪ Don't you look in the mirror towards my reflection ♪ ♪ I love em' ♪ ♪ Now my vision is clearer, I'm putting nothing above ♪ ♪ Him ♪ ♪ That's third person talk soul ♪ ♪ Let's go, this is black boy magic ♪ ♪ I'm dope in real life ♪ ♪ I'm dope in real life ♪ ♪ I'm dope ♪ ♪ Aye, yo, my body is a temple ♪ ♪ And I'm the God that it was built for ♪ ♪ Heaven is within me, I don't go with the flow ♪ ♪ I am the flow ♪ ♪ Get you one neck and do both ♪ ♪ Now you're showing your growth ♪ ♪ Music and medicine ♪ ♪ Music is the medicine, I'm gonna give you a dose ♪ ♪ But you can't puff Pacific, you might consider it gross ♪ ♪ So ♪ ♪ You want a beautiful lie or the ugly truth ♪ ♪ I can raise the dead or be the burden of proof ♪ ♪ Wicked with the wicker, witchcraft ♪ ♪ Or whichever craft I choose to use, sir ♪ ♪ Hi, John, the conqueror, conjuror ♪ ♪ No stopping the man, you sending me a monster ♪ ♪ I don't do this for the grand (indistinct) imposter ♪ ♪ I got you this black boy magic ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'm dope in real life ♪ ♪ I'm dope in real life ♪ ♪ Yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ This is black boy magic ♪ ♪ I'm dope in real life ♪ ♪ Y'all are dope in real life ♪ ♪ We're dope in real life ♪ Respect black artists.

Respect all artists (mystical outro music) - [Announcer] Funding for AHA has been provided by your contribution and by contributions to the WMHT Venture Fund.

Contributors include the Leo Cox Beach Philanthropic Foundation, Chet and Karen Opalka, Robert and Doris Fischer Malesardi, and the Robison Family Foundation.

- At M&T Bank, we understand that the vitality of our communities is crucial to our continued success, that's why we take an active role in our community.

M&T Bank is pleased to support WMHT programming that highlights the arts and we invite you to do the same.