Meet Fernando Mercado | 3D Artist & Fabricator

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

Hi Fernando, why did you pursue a creative career?
The decision to pursue an artistic career is really a double-edged sword for me at this point. I’m scared of failure and not being able to support myself as an artist, which I believe feeds into my drive to perfect my craft in whatever I find interesting at the moment. But as anxious as I may be about trying to accrue capital, I know that I can’t work for a boss for the rest of my life. There are things to be learned from people with wisdom and experience that can give you a head start in pursuing your goals, but at the end of the day, I need to be able to make my own decisions. I want to make shit that I care about.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have developed a very unique perspective of my particular interests given my background going to architecture school. I see my time spent there as honing skills of 3d modeling, physical object making, and above all, being able to world build around objects in the physical world. I work in a unique intersection between ordinary objects and cutting edge technology to elevate what it means to interact with our everyday world.

My work forces people to observe and appreciate the details that go into crafting something. Whether it be an image, a piece of clothing, furniture, or an interior space, I pull the veil of design down for people so they get a glimpse of the process but not enough to tell the full story. It’s been hard navigating my interests in an academic setting because of the unfortunate reality that not everyone get’s what I’m trying to say, and thus question the existence of my work. This has ultimately helped me hone my ability to justify my decisions in the discourse of design but often has me thinking more than actually doing.

I’m currently working on the balance of thought and creation so I can make things that can stand on their own thematically and physically. My biggest word of advise is that you should take the time to build up your narrative and your toolset in tandem. Your best work will begin when your hands work at the same speed as your voice.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We would have to hit all the coffee spots around town on the east side, like Canyon Coffee and Café Telegrama, because I love some morning loitering and good coffee/tea. It’s so much fun to people-watch and put your coffee table books to good use.

You follow up the morning loitering session with a visit to Trader Joe’s on Hyperion to grab a light lunch. My personal favorite is the Spicy Lentil Wrap, but there are plenty of salads and wraps to choose from.

Then we’re back to loitering at the Silverlake Meadows, Echo Park Lake, or LA Historic Park. This time, instead of drinking coffee, we get to walk around, look at greenery, and enjoy those yummy Trader Joe’s treats! It’s also the perfect place to fill up that long-neglected fitness ring and get those steps in.

You stay at the park until sunset and then pick literally any of the amazing food spots along Sunset. This includes Night + Market, which is a yummy Thai place; Quarter Sheets, which is my favorite pizza place that isn’t really pizza; and Santō, a sushi fusion spot if you’re feeling extra boujee.

You then head to any of the many gallery openings that will assuredly be happening and pretend to like the art. This is also the perfect excuse to loiter because there’s always free drinks! You repeat this step until all available galleries have been exhausted.

We’ll rinse and repeat these steps every day until you get bored, at which point we’ll go hiking or something! The broke artist life is truly one for the books!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to shoutout my USC thesis professor Mary Casper for fully believing in my vision. She’s the reason I was really able to see the value in my voice as a designer. Also shoutout to all my other successful and cool homies that help me flesh out my ideas and listen to me yap. Also shoutout to my parents who laid out the foundation and habits that have contributed to my success.

Website: https://fernando-mercado.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fer.knee/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernando-mercado-855940183/

Other: https://www.instagram.com/fer.tographer/,

Image Credits
Fernando Mercado