Meet Tony Torres | Artist & Visionary

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tony Torres and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tony, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I am an artist, and have been since I was young. It took me quite some time to understand that this is not exactly a career path one chooses, rather a lifestyle one grows to accept. I am constantly focused on new ways to turn my ideas into a physical reality, and this is just the mindset I maintain. This would be the case regardless of the blessings I have received in my life that has turned my art into something I can profit from. I have been fortunate enough to have teachers that gave me insights into how to take this crazy mindset into a career and benefit from it. Many artists are forced by the nature of our society to place their true passions on the back burner, and I have always felt this is fundamentally wrong. It is not wrong of the artist, but rather of our society to place more value on economics than the arts that shift the way we interact with our world.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Art is my life, and with that comes both good and bad. Many of my early years in art were spent in a place of confusion and doubt, not knowing what I was truly doing and how to fit in with many who I felt quite different from. On the flip side, I could easily lose myself within my own creation, and I fell deeply in love with this. In high school, I was a part of a graffiti group, which is where I first developed my characters. I also found myself getting in quite a bit of trouble at the time, and the world around me felt like a daunting place to be.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Our week would probably start in the studio, most likely the Koi Pond Studio where I work on music with my good friend Austin (ahunnidiloveit!). I love food so I would take them to quite a few tacos trucks as well, my favorite is the one in the Pavilions parking lot on Melrose Ave and Vine St. I love nature, so we could go to Manhattan Beach and hang out over there as well, then maybe hike in the mountains above Hollywood. I love a lot of the Hollywood art galleries on La Brea – Lorin Gallery, Shulamit Nazarian, etc. We could go to the Broad and see whatever the newest show is. If we want Italian food we could go to Osteria Mamma. I love the Hollywood farmers market on Sundays. Realistically though, a lot of the time would be spent in either the art studio or the music studio because I can never stay away from the two for too long.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Shoutout to all the fantastic teachers I have had throughout my life. First, Ms. Numo Jaeger at Saint Mary’s College Highschool. Without her, I am not sure what my life would look like today. She gave me guidance through art at an early age when I was quite lost, allowing me to freely create and understand what I was capable of. If it was not for her encouragement to apply to art school for college, I may have never met my fantastic mentors at the University of Wisconsin. Faisal Abdullah, Andy Rubin, and John Hitchcock were the mentors at the University of Wisconsin that sharpened my skills and pushed me to work as hard as possibly, creating a world I was in control of. They are the reason I applied to graduate school for art, and once I receive my MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design, I will begin teaching art myself and can finally repay the universe for all it has taught me. Behind my teachers stand my incredible family and friends who have never doubted me, and for them I am forever grateful.

Website: tonytorres.org

Instagram: notdipped

Youtube: @TonyTorresArt

Other: For music on all streaming services: Tony Torres

Image Credits
Jean-Claude C. Cubias