Hello. Please introduce yourself.
Hi, my name is Dylan XVX and I am an activist, artist and printmaker. I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts with a concentration in printmaking from Pratt Institute of Art in Brooklyn, NY. I grew up in the punk and hardcore scene of Northeast Pennsylvania, and began exploring forms of printmaking as a teenager to create shirts and patches for my friend’s bands, as well as my own, using cardboard stencils and spray paint. Most of my work is made using techniques in screen-printing and drawing, exploring concepts such as the occult, decay, cannibalism, human extinction and animal rights.
What Does “XVX” mean?
XVX means that I am committed to the straight-edge vegan lifestyle. Never drank, smoked, or got into any drugs and I’ve been vegan for over 5 years now. I feel that it is as strong of a political statement as it is a life choice.
How are you doing today?
I’m doing really well! I’ve been working on some new drawings that I’m pretty excited about. They are a little larger than what I am used to so it’s a little scary, but really fun at the same time.
How would you describe what it is that you do?
I take my ideas, throw them on paper, make them transparent, and then print a small edition. Everything I do is hand-drawn and hand-printed by me. I’d never be able to do what I do on a computer- not because it can’t be done, but because I’d have no idea where to start. Putting a pen directly to paper is so much more direct and immediate.
What inspires you?
Riding my bicycle, reading books about occultism and ecology, hearing stories of civil disobedience and direct action, blasting some Assück or old folk songs, looking at artists like Pushead, John Dyer Baizley, Skinner, Dennis McNett, and Florian Bertmer, and tasting some delicious vegan food being cooked up in the kitchen! If that doesn’t make you want to draw some gnarly shit, I don’t know what will.
What are the tools of your trade?
I start out with just a pencil and some paper. From my initial sketch, I’ll make a transparency using a piece of inkjet film and some pens or markers. This is where the drawing gets much more detailed and fun. After that’s all finished, I’ll shoot my screen and print using water-based ink. Lately I have been hand-coloring one or two of them using watercolor. It’s a fairly lo-fi process.
What is the first thing you thought when you woke up today?
I live in
What is your most favorite thing about what you do?
I love meeting people that have similar interests as me. It’s always awesome to meet new people that are also artists, printmakers, punks, straight-edge, vegan, etc. In general, it’s great to meet new people, but when they have a similar lifestyle or belief system, it’s even more exciting.
What is the most taxing?
Sometimes I can be extremely impatient. Hand-drawing my images rather than creating them digitally can sometimes take longer than I want, but I have found that the more detailed a drawing is, the more therapeutic it is for me.
Jackie Chan or Bruce Lee?
Definitely Bruce Lee.
Describe your art in three non words.
UGGHH! OOOOHH! DURN-URN-DA-NUR-WER!
What is something that people wouldn’t know just by looking at you?
I really love Motown. The Temptations, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Four Tops- I love it. I also really love skateboarding, but I’m terrible at it.
What does art mean to you?
Art can mean so many things, it’s kind of hard to describe what it is or isn’t. Art, for me, is autobiographical, it’s a way for me to put the ideas I have in my head into a visual vocabulary. Some people get it, some don’t, but I guess that applies to most things.
What really grinds your gears?
Oh, a lot of things.. I hate when people ride their bike on the sidewalk- share the road, not the sidewalk! I hate when cars park in bike lanes, it’s dangerous and inconsiderate. This is kind of ridiculous, but it irritates the hell out of me when I have to wait behind non-vegans at a vegan restaurant. If I’m hungry, I don’t want to hear someone ask what seitan is twenty times before I get my chance to order.
You have the opportunity to sit with anyone in the world, alive or dead, for one hour…Who would you pick?
There are a lot of people fighting for really great causes right now, both above ground and under. From animal rights and ecological issues to feminism and other issues in human rights, those activists are going to be tomorrow’s heroes. But, if I could sit with anyone alive or dead, I would want to sit with one of the people that helped build the civilization at Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Carved into the architecture are depictions of dinosaurs. Historically, it is impossible that they ever saw dinosaurs walk the Earth, so it’s mindboggling to try to explain how they knew what they would look like.
When did you know that art was your bread and butter?
Art has been my bread and soy margarine since I was young. I remember having a drawing in a local art show was I was 6 years old. At 8, my teacher and guidance counselor called my parents because I filled my notebooks with drawings of monsters. As I got older, I became more self-conscious about my art and stopped drawing and painting for a few years. My first class on my first day of high school was an art class and eventually, that teacher convinced me to pursue art.
You have the opportunity to write a newspaper headline that will get read around the world… What do you say?
“RESEARCH PREDICTS DEFORESTATION AS A RESULT OF PALM OIL WILL HAVE ORANGUTANS EXTINCT IN THE NEXT 15 YEARS.”
What draws your art to decay, cannibalism, human extinction and animal rights?
I think it’s something that I was always intrigued by.. One of the few things that all animals (including humans) have in common is death. Everything suffers in one way or another, but nothing should have to suffer at the hands of someone else for personal gain or gratification.
What inspired you to start doing what you’re doing?
Everything I have mentioned has been a factor in why I decided to start making art. There are a lot of things I want to do outside of art, but there is nothing that I would rather be doing INSTEAD of art.
Do you have anything in the mix that we should keep our eyes peeled for?
I was recently added to the artist roster on IWantYourSkull.com and will hopefully be in the next issue of their ‘zine. It’s really great to see my name next to some of my favorite artists on such a rad site. I’m constantly creating new work, so hopefully the drawings and prints I’m currently working on will find a temporary home in a gallery or alternative art space somewhere. I’m also hoping to have a new website for my work very soon.
Do you have words of advice to people who want to pursue a career in art?
There will always be a need for talented people with something important to say. Don’t wait for someone else to say or do something for you. Only you know what is best for you- be your own boss.
Is there anything else that you would like to add?
I’d like to thank you for interviewing me and I’d like to thank everyone else for reading what I have to say. Go vegan! Run amuck!
Thank you Dylan!
You can find Dylan here...
www.dylanxvx.com
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