Talking Art With Lauren Gomez

Lauren Gomez: What artistic pursuits are you involved with and how do they translate on campus?

Chris Battaglia: I work with photography, film, painting, graphic design, and silk-screening. I do graphic designs for UGBC, and I've produced silk screens for both the Slam Fashionation show and for the Re-Sewn fashion show as well as for student clubs and organizations. I also sing for the Dynamics.

LG: Which of these interests are you most passionate about?

CB: Lately I think it's been silk-screening. I love printing. I love designing clothing I can wear. It's a very hands-on process. Having taught myself how to do it last year and following through has been extremely fulfilling. It's very systematic; it allows for trial and error with minimal loss.

LG: You say you taught yourself how to silk-screen, how did that come about?

CB: I had promised to provide pieces for the Slam Fashionation show last year during Artsfest, so I had to deliver. I submitted to trial and error - lots of errors - and I eventually figured it out. To hone my skills, I took a silk-screening and printing course at the Otis College of Art and Design in California over the summer.

LG: What is it about silk-screening that you find so appealing?

CB: Communicating and circulating my own art, which reflects my personality, is critical for me. My friends get involved with the printing process. Silk-screening is a very niche thing at BC.

LG: Is it?

CB: Oh, yeah. Many people want to learn but don't know how to get involved with it. We should have a workshop; wouldn't that be fun?

LG: How did the interest come about?

CB: It's been an evolution. Sophomore year I wanted to make novelty shirts for friends as gifts, but it never really took off. Airbrushing is really more of an art than an enterprise. I was pretty good at it.

LG: What forms do your prints take?

CB: They appear on cardstock, backpacks, notebooks, shorts, shirts, hoodies - really anything I can get my hands on. It's a sort of tagging for me, just a way of putting myself on everything.

LG: Is there a certain message that you hope to convey in your work?

CB: There are three lines right now. The "Oxford Graffiti" line is graffiti that I encountered while in England. I felt that I needed to bring that here because it's less about the art and more about the message. There is another line that focuses on the idea of "out with the old and in with the new." My third line, "start something," basically communicates my whole message.

LG: Which is?

CB: It's about getting out there and creating something. I'm all about production.

LG: You have a very distinct logo on your clothing. What does it mean?

CB: It's very simple. It's a classical labyrinth. It's similar to the one we have at BC, but it's probably been in my life for the past eight years. I have a tattoo of the same symbol.

LG: In what capacity has the labyrinth image been in your life for eight years?

CB: I learned about the image from a surf instructor who was very moved by it. It's an ancient meditative symbol that is metaphoric for being on a journey. It has a lot to do with figuring out who I am and finding myself. I find the symbol to be an important thing to keep in mind - it puts everything into the big picture.

LG: How does your artistry conjoin with the commercial value of the items you produce?

CB: It's a process of vertical integration and homemade artisanship. I believe a pure-produced product of high caliber is to be cherished. I think there's a lot of value in producing your own garment.

LG: What do you mean by that?

GB: It's so common now that enterprises will outsource - sending concepts to be made into a product outside of this country. I'm all about homegrown processes. I'm trying to build up a family of people in which we're all working toward the same goal.

LG: Where does your creative focus stem from?

CB: My grandfather turned me on to the hands-on nature of it all. After a long career at a telephone company he became a woodworker. I think I get the systematic, mathematical elements from him.

BS: What did he create?

CB: He would built cabinets, doorframes, birdhouses, remodeled his house - anything and everything. He made an honest living, which is how I'd like to be. He was the ultimate craftsman - basically, the man.

LG: You mentioned earlier that you showcased your work within the Re-Sewn fashion show, an event that promoted environmental sustainability. Do you use organic cotton for your tees?

I did for the show. Right now I'm in the process of working out a more cost effective model for that.

LG: What is it about the visual arts that you find so intriguing?

CB: I've been trying to figure this out for a while now. I'm so fascinated by what makes people respond to images, the emotional response. I think there is something to be said of visual perception because it's the first thing we experience.

LG: Where do you see your brand in five years?

CB: I have no f-ing clue. But if I know anything, it's that I like to make food, and I like to make clothes. So if I can merge both into a career, I think I'll be successful.

To view his silk-screens, visit blackmagiccab.com. This column will be a continuous space in which I will interview student artists at Boston College. If you are interested in speaking about your craft, please don't hesitate to contact me at GomezLB@bc.edu. Thanks!