Meet Joey Maas | Neo-Pop Artist

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

Hi Joey, why did you pursue a creative career?
I don’t know if I ever really had a choice. I started playing music and making art at a really young age, and they were the only things Id ever want to do. I’ve tried the corporate office job thing and I was always so miserable, I know some people thrive in that environment, but I just wasn’t one of them. I worked as a bike messenger for about 10 years, and that was flexible enough to allow me to tour with my bands. In 2008 we had a pretty awful roll-over van crash on I-5 traveling from San Francisco to LA. The van and all our stuff was destroyed. Thankfully we all lived through it. Shortly after that I left the music world to focus solely on painting and visual art.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I call it Neo-Pop Art, but basically my style is retro pop art portraits, inspired by the fashion, design, and mall culture of the 80s and 90’s. I think a lot of artists have the “beginners luck” stage when they first start showing their work. I sold out my first few shows, and that pretty much solidified my path. However, the more established you become, the more difficult the art world is to navigate. Between raising your price points, finding collectors, new venues and galleries, and constant promotion, it’s as much work outside the studio as inside. I’m currently working on planning some pop-up shows for some of the various fashion week festivities around the US. As it turns out, the fashion world is equally as difficult to navigate. as the art world.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, for someone who has never been here, you always have to do the basics. LACMA, Santa Monica Pier, Sunset, Venice canals, Hollywood Blvd, but when you get that all out of the way, you can get to the real stuff. I like my food vegan, and my bars divey, so a trip down to Stuff I Eat in Inglewood for lunch is a must for me. LA has no shortage of great vegan food, but as far as I know, Stuff I Eat is the only vegan and organic soul food restaurant. Afterwards, maybe check out some of the fantastic galleries LA has to offer. Thinkspace, La Luz de Jesus, Corey Helford, then head up to Hollywood for a drink at the Burgundy Room on Hollywood and Cahuenga. My favorite dark dive bar in LA, and it’s rumored that they will be opening back up their art gallery, located right next door in the near future. Afterwards, some late night food at Swingers is the perfect end to a night on the town.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My wife, Shauna Haider has been the most supportive and inspiring person I’ve ever known. She’s a world class graphic designer with a very discerning eye, so she’ll tell me if something sucks. I don’t always take her advice, but she’s usually right.

Website: joeymaas.com

Instagram: instagram.com/stories/joey__division

Facebook: facebook.com/joeyxdivision/