Lindaluz Carrillo

for her, for everyone, and for the youth.

Photography and Writing: Karen Montejo

Questions and Transcription: Mariana Perez

Lindaluz Carrillo is an Afro-Peruvian-NY-born-Hartford-raised graphic designer, urban artist, graf writer, and teacher. She is also now a prolific muralist. During the summer, Linda worked on five collaborative murals; her signature bubble-style pieces can be found all over Hartford. We sat down to talk about influences, the process behind some of her most recent mural collaborations, and her outlook on the future.

BL&D

Lindaluz Carrillo

Who do you create for?

I started creating just for myself and that normally stems from trying to rebuild my confidence and personal goals. I kind of give myself mantras like in my typography work but I also hope that it encourages people to do whatever it is they want to do. It can be very specific to them or something broad. But I create for myself, for everyone, and for the youth. A lot of my work ends up being for them.

Whenever I think of your work, I think of it as community-focused. Was that a progression in your work?

I think it was a progression overtime. I went to art high school and Initially I thought that it wasn't for me. I didn't think that I was going to be an artist. It didn't make sense at the time. As time went by, I understood how other people were taking in my work, whether it's on a piece of material or on a wall. It brought me back to my experiences of looking at murals and graffiti artists, in general, and what their messages were. I also experienced my first community mural during my high school years. I remembering thinking how cool it was to paint alongside artists that I’ve looked up too. Naturally, my work became community oriented overtime.

This reminds me of a previous conversation we were talking about how when you were growing up, you didn't really think that was a viable career because you didn't have any examples.

No, nothing. [laughs] the internet was my example. Also, going to the academy of the arts I met with other artists that were doing that research.

So what was the deciding factor on “I’m going to go to art school”?

I was in middle school I was taking violin class and art classes. My teacher at the time really took an interest in the work I was creating. I remember this conversation and working on this project that was about politics and what world peace meant and could look like. I made this really interesting design and she was inspired by it. I never had an adult say they were inspired by my work I remember thinking “this lady's crazy” but really I was like “no way!”. I would sit with her after class and visit her. She would feed me information about art and show me works by other artists. We just got to know each other. I was at a really young age and that was one of the first interactions, besides my parents. They were very encouraging of me pursuing the arts, especially my dad. My teacher was the one that gave me the opportunity at the Academy of the Arts. At the time they were doing auditions. So I had to make a portfolio to get in. Because it was a serious portion to get in, I really had to work. I made the portfolio and then everything just started coming together.

What inspires your work?

I think everything around me and conversations inspire me alot, especially if people are able and willing to go deep with me. I feel it can be very hard to open up but I feel that's a beautiful thing even within itself. It also allows me to unravel myself because I also tend to make these barriers. Overtime, I realized barriers are unnecessary and they stem from fear, anxiety and trauma.

Do you have an example of how that plays out in a conversation?

When first meeting someone, I'm not quick to approach the person. I second guess whether I should start a conversation because I feel like I'm always saying the most or saying something obnoxiously. I know I'm not but I always assume that no one is gonna be interested, and I feel like that shows my insecurities growing up, I'm actively still trying to get through. I put those barriers in front of myself.

Are there any specific artists that were definitive for you?

Yeah, I used to look up a lot of graffiti artists like Apex, who is a San Francisco-based public artist. His work is crazy, beautiful, and colorful. A lot of structure and architectural elements that are beyond what I could understand when it comes to spray painting. It's really cool to see his work. Tatiana Suarez is another artist, her work is more illustrative murals. She's a spray painter, as well. She's from Miami, I believe. So a lot of people from Miami and California have influenced my work.

Now that you're saying that, I feel like your work is very Cali.

I watch so many videos. I really just spend hours on my computer watching graffiti documentaries like Bombin, Wild style, Style Wars, classics. I just try to get a really good understanding. Keith Haring is also one of those influential artists because he’s very playful with his characters. Whereas like me, I play around with my letters. They're not your traditional typography. I'm okay if the curve of a letter is messy. Let’s play around with that type of thing.

When I first heard of Keith Haring, I thought he was just Warhol type commercial. I didn't think he actually started out tagging subways.

Yeah, he used chalk. Out of all things, and he got arrested for that. It was just white chalk. He grew up around that time, like he was friends with Andy Warhol and Basquiat. So he was able to live in that generation and constantly take in everything else.

Yeah, I feel like that circle was really influential towards one another. They are very similar in many ways.

Yeah I feel like that is really beautiful. What I really admire about it is that it's New York. Everything is close by; just the proximity of things. Knowing that you could go to a surrealist gallery and then next door there is a pop up gallery of an artist that is showcasing. It's cool that you're able to switch it up instantly. However, there are artists here that are working with different mediums but the scene isn’t really consistent as it should be. More specifically there being a lack of spaces for artist to create more and share, network, collaborate etc. I think we forget the value of that.

How do you feel about the art scene here? We get compared to New York a lot.

Yeah, it's weird. I have so many thoughts about it. One, Hartford has a lot of artists. Are they getting the opportunities? No, because there aren't any opportunities. Because of the lack of opportunities, we are not able to showcase and explore our work outside of our comfort zone. A lot of us have to go to other places like New York, Cali, and even Philly, Which is great but I think Hartford can be vibrant. There's a lot of different groups and not a lot of spaces for artists to connect and work in there. Realistically, if one were to look for a spot, the first place that comes to mind is Real Art Ways. However, that is also becoming an outdated space. Not that it's not a valuable space, it's still prominent and important. But there needs to be more spaces that are cultivating those types of experiences for different generations. Not having that causes us to create our own.

I feel like we still have a good sense of, maybe not a thriving arts scene, but we have a lot of people that are still dedicated to their specific art forms.

Yeah, there’s like a shit ton of artists. I feel like even in the past few years I've been noticing people leaving their jobs and becoming independent, freelance, and entrepreneurs, artists. It's been pretty cool seeing that and hearing people actually talk about their transitions into that. I hope that keeps happening. There have been conversations about people trying to open up spaces and buying property. I think that's a huge thing that should be happening. I think there are a lot of complications with that overall but I hope eventually that's what will actually happen in Hartford. Artists can do pop up things that are more sustainable and profitable. At the end of the day, we have to eat.

Exactly. Are you currently working on any mural projects?

Kind of. I have a few of them where I'm in the brainstorming stage. Some of them I just have to paint their logos on a wall which I do from time to time. There are a few more collaborative projects coming up next year. A lot bigger and a lot more collaborations. A lot of things in the works. I'm also working at the Academy of the Arts, and we're doing murals with the kids. That's another big part of the work that I do.

Have you collaborated with other artists recently?

Yes! [laughs]

That was your entire summer.

Literally my entire summer. I did a total of five murals with other artists such as Mina Echevarria, for one of them I was guiding a team of youth which some are at the beginning stages of their creative career or are taking interests in art making.

Were they from the Academy of the Arts?

No, they were OPP kids, youth from around the neighborhoods, These kids were paid to help and I didn’t know until I spoke to the supervisor that was with them. Some volunteers from the community also helped because they really wanted to paint. They came for those 3-4 days and we painted. It was the biggest mural I’ve worked on Capitol Ave. It wasn't that difficult because there weren't too many details. I intentionally simplified it because it was such a big wall.

Who came up with the concept for that?

It definitely was a city run project. This was supposed to be done last year and it was through the Love Your Block grant. They were doing an eco friendly campaign around recycling and keeping your city clean. That was one of their phrases they used. There was another one referencing Cardi B. It was an actual ad and campaign. It was like “Keep your city clean, okurrr”. [laughs] Something like that. I feel like the first one was the strongest one.

Yeah, I feel like I saw a lot of people sharing and posting that. It really did resonate.

Yeah, I'm glad! I feel like everytime I look at my work once it's already done, not that I hate it but I start to nitpick myself like “why did I do that?” It was a cool collaboration. I liked getting to know the kids that paint the wall. I think that's my favorite part. Having the youth help me and building that type of relationship.

Do you think that's your favorite part of the whole mural making process?

It's one of my favorites, yeah. I'll have a kid or an individual and watch them get into it, feel like they couldn't do this, or “I'm not an artist” to “whoa, what was that experience?”. I love that reaction. I really just encourage people to have fun. I don't want people to ever feel overwhelmed while they are creating with me.

Do you have a least favorite?

I think sometimes when it comes to too much editing. One thing I've realized is if I'm working with a client or whoever is asking for the mural to be done, if they want specific, I rather them say it right from the beginning. If they are okay with absolutely anything, then let that be it because then I start to work on it a little bit differently. I guess branding versus individual and independent design.

Whether or not you get creative control?

It's frustrating when it starts off with you having creative control and then you really don't. Then, I'm going back and editing like 15 times, which happens. That's another thing with creating artwork, like graphic design, you know you're going to edit but too much editing after we’ve just had a conversation doesn't make sense.

I feel like for graphic design, not a lot of people know how to say what they want and don't know what goes into making something, so they don't have a clear vision and a lot of that ends up falling on you. Like they completely change their mind and want to redo the whole thing.

Yeah, that's what you want to avoid. Depending on the conversation or energy that I have, it doesn't always hit right but I hope to make one to four reiterations, one that's specific to the branding, a general idea, and/or a free, collaborative piece. It varies.

What is your process with creating large scale public murals?

I realized this is different every time depending on who I'm collaborating with. I try to make space for the other artists that either haven’t had the opportunity to do a mural but had an eye for design. Right now, I'm thinking of Mina because recently I worked on two. There were like three or four meetings before where we discussed the ideas and concepts, and then we may do multiple iterations of what that may look like. Usually, I photoshop what I create, and sometimes mock it up on a live photo of the location. Just to get a full, clear idea on what it could look like, as far as scale, color, and if it matches with the environment around it. I really take the space into consideration. Also, what the message is saying. I want it to be intentional for that community and relatable, so I always keep that in mind. You know, who is the artist creating it to like what their message is, and does their message relate to what that space means or wants to occupy. There's a lot of brainstorming and we have the sketch, the mock up, and the execution. The day of, I mean, it can feel a little chaotic because there are always buckets of paint and making sure the inside of my car isn’t messy.

Unforeseen obstacles

Yeah, unforeseen obstacles. Like, running out of paint. That happens a lot. Also, having the right amount of paint and colors. The goal is to have that set before the mural and that’s not always the situation. Then, mapping it out. I used chalk recently to make the design.

You mean like making the outline?

Yeah sometimes I’ll do that. I’ve realized it to be really helpful because if I needed to erase something I could just wash it off instead of going straight to the paint.

Yeah, I always wondered how the scale was transferred.

Yeah, it's definitely different for a lot of artists. I've seen artists that map it, literally with a spray can.

Freehand it.

Yeah, but then there are other artists that use methods like the gridding method that I’ve recently learned. You just literally doodle on the wall like a bunch of different doodles, and then it looks like craziness on the outside looking in. So you doodle to make these little marks, and what you do is you have your design already set aside. You take a picture of the wall you doodled on. You lay it on the image and you can do it on your phone. There's a program that might be easier to do that like Photoshop. So you use the marks that are already there, and you align them with the drawing. One mark is over here so I know where my nose or word that's going to be there.

That's so interesting. Well, how do you get rid of the doodles?

You paint over it. Now that you have the mock up and your illustration on the phone, you use that as a reference. I saw a friend do it and it worked. It took a really long time but it also takes them a long time to create their work. As one way, I usually just sketch with chalk or projectors. There's definitely a lot of different methods. You know, just go for it.

How long does that usually take? Like the one on Park St. How long did that take?

When it’s a collaboration, there’s a lot of hands helping and that one took about 3-4 days. There were a lot of details too. Both actually took 3-4 days to complete because we were on a time crunch. We wanted to make sure we had everything before the presentation.

Full day? Sun up, sun down type deal?

So we ended up doing shifts. We did the morning shift from 8am to noon. Took a 2-3 hour break. Came back and stayed until 5 or 6pm.

I feel like that's such a nice way to bond with other artists.

Yeah! It was nice and those breaks were necessary because it was really hot this summer, and we stayed for straight hours too.

What was the reception of people walking by? What did they say? What did they interact with?

They loved it! It was cool because, specifically, the one on Park St, there's a lot of people and foot traffic there. People knew the names that we were writing on the wall and they were like ‘I remember Dr. so and so. You know, he used to help with doing groceries at this location’.

For a little bit of context, what was on the mural?

The mural that I worked on with Mina Echevarria, those two were through the Hartford Public Library, and they were focused on Hartford changemakers. Jasmin Agosto has been doing this series focusing on Hartford residents that have impacted the community in different ways, and this is a set of activists, politicians, artists, poets, and jazz musicians. So she made a list of Black and Brown artists who have impacted it. This was the first attempt to do murals inspired by those changemakers. So Mina and I came together and did 5-6 workshops with people from the community. We had a really dope group which was really awesome. It was all women of different ages, and we built a really strong connection.

I didn't know it was that long a program.

Yeah, like a whole summer program and after that, we just spent those 3-4 days together painting.

Oh so it wasn't just you and Mina. It was you, Mina, and the group of women?

Yeah, those who were comfortable to come out and paint because some of them didn't want to go because of Covid but a lot of people actually came out. We had kids and their family members come by and paint. So it was a really cool event.

I love the work Jasmin does.

Yeah, she's dope for facilitating these types of programming through the library. So yeah, long story short, the idea was for me to write the names for some of the Hartford changemakers for the mural on Park St. It was on this quilt that was being knitted by Mina's hands and it’s kind of sewing in our ancestors into something that would eventually last and be shared through generations. So that was kind of the idea. It was cool to see. There were a lot of people that were like ‘oh I know Maria Torres,’ and all these others. Jackie McClain was one of those people that we put on the wall.

And then they have a physical piece commemorating their histories.

Yeah, I hope that Jasmin Agosto or whoever takes up this type of work for next year, continues to do this mural or installation because I really think that was a cool way to get to know people, especially during COVID. I didn't really think we would be able to connect as deeply as we did.

Speaking of COVID, how has it impacted your creative process, output, and everything else?

I definitely thought that it was over. [laughs] Because right before COVID, I had a lot of projects lined up and then everything just got canceled. I was like well, I guess that's it for me’. [laughs] Then things started popping up which was really exciting. My goal over the summer was to just create more murals. I was just going to do a bunch of murals for free but then the Temple of Hip Hop reached out and were interested in doing a mural series because the Hip Hop Festival was canceled.

We had a lot of cans leftover.

Yeah, a lot of cans. I still have cans.

That's good. I'm glad they were put to use.

Yeah, I think because of that mural, a lot of people started taking notice and wanting to feel uplifted and some type of connection again. Art does that naturally.

It was definitely worrisome.

Yeah, it was scary. I had finished, and was still doing freelance work. I wasn't teaching because that had ended. After that, I thought I wasn’t going to do anything.

How do you feel now looking forward?

I feel good. I think also COVID has given me the opportunity to think through what types of partnerships I really want to keep as far as creations. I'm still working through that, and I'm trying to navigate different spaces. Also, learning when to say no to certain ideas that may not make sense or need to happen the way that it should happen if that makes any sense.

Anything that doesn't necessarily align with your work.

Yeah, even my values. I've just been having a lot of those realizations. It gave me the opportunity to be honest and take space for what it is I want to do with my work and with others.

I feel like I've been hearing a lot that this pandemic has at least allowed everyone to slow down and just think.

Yeah, literally just think. [laughs]

Are you looking forward to anything in particular, like any projects? Not even just concrete projects but ideas, or what you see yourself doing in the future?

Since I've been teaching, I've really dived deeper into it. I really love it, especially working with high school. I've realized that's the group I want to focus on long term. I'm not sure if I want to be in the school system because my way of teaching is not traditional. I also didn't go to school to teach art. I'm just teaching based on what I know, how I was taught, and how I believe the youth should be taught. Eventually I would want to do that outside of the school system.

I feel like you have a great sense of mentorship especially with youth.

I appreciate that. [laughs] Yeah, a lot of mentorship just because I don't feel like I had that. I've had mentors, and I do now but not specifically to art, I wasn't able to connect to Apex or Tatiana Suarez because they lived so far . There wasn’t a lot of people in Hartford doing what I was envisioning most of the people I looked up to were outside of CT. Specifically, women or Latinx people. So I wish I had that, I want to be that for someone at some point.

How do you feel about making art at this time?

I think it's kind of hard. It's been a little stressful because I don't want to say the wrong thing with what I'm creating but I also have this impulsive urge to want to say something but then there's the “Stop!” Like are you saying the right thing or are you just saying this out of emotion? What is your intention behind what you're feeling? I feel it's allowing me to do a lot of processing because I feel like I've had this conversation with other artists too, and how they are struggling with voicing. I've been sharing a lot of other people’s work that are relevant to the times, like gun violence and racial issues that have been happening. I have concepts and ideas, and I have things I've created but I haven't fully shared them with the world yet. Also, being aware of how triggering artwork can be for people if it's not stated the right way. So trying to find the right language to voice that which can be tricky. Sometimes you have to just do it which is another thing I have to constantly remind myself, whether it's good or bad or whatever it is.

I think you mentioned a couple wheat pasting ideas you want to pursue.

Yeah. I have been wanting to get into other forms of creating. I’ve tried wheat pasting a few times and its really exciting it’s a bit of a process but def a feel good process.