Meet Walter Zetsche | Visual Artist

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

Hi Walter, why did you pursue a creative career?
Because I’m selfish! I want other people to listen to me. Not only that but I want to create things that are larger than myself, bigger and greater than my own being. How arrogant is that?? Regardless, I know of no other method to feel as fulfilled and truly alive. So I create.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I define my art by my use of contrast, not just contrasting colors or values, but a constant opposition to the work, ideas, and rules I witness around me. Sometimes this means employing contrast in an effort to reveal the absurdity of binary ideals such as right and wrong, left and right, and good and evil. Sometimes it means utilizing taboos like in my piece “4000 Penis Collage” which is a portrait of Jeff Bezos made out of 4000 penises in which he himself, is also a penis.

Professionally, I am no where in particular. It feels like I’m flailing in the open ocean before learning how to swim. It seems strange to commercialize my art since it’s my most fundamental form of expression. It would be similar to selling the words that leave my mouth. I feel much better about giving art away. Please feel free to dm me on Instagram and I’ll happily mail you a “4000 Penis Collage” sticker.

The only way I could feel comfortable selling my art is if it had some sort of practical purpose, so that the value of the artwork is not from my words but in the purpose of the object they posses. In the hopefully near future I plan to launch my T-shirt brand, We They Say: an examination of the often unsaid assertions we make with our apparel to the world around us. The artworks combine 3D designs depicted with custom dot patterns and typography. Which are all printed from home on a small scale. This project to me is a test of my ability to contribute something significant to the world. I do not expect it to be profitable at first, but I know that it will have longevity. The only challenge will be my own perseverance.

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?
Okay, so I would start out my day by getting pulled pork sandwiches at Pecos Bill’s Bar-B-Q which is a literal hole in the wall with the best(and sloppiest) pulled pork I’ve had in la. Then I’d head down to the LA Zoo to admire all of the beasts. Then make your way in to downtown only to get some ramen at Orochan Ramen in little Tokyo. From there, assuming it’s the last Saturday of the month, you can head down to the corner of Elmwood and Western in Korea town at 9pm to check out almighty Opp: a community based psychedelic puppet show/religious service that should really be experienced rather than explained. After that, you really can’t go wrong wandering around Sunset blvd, you really never know what you’ll find there. Once you’re ready to end the night, hike up to the Griffith Observatory in the dead of night to see probably the best view in LA.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Huge shout out to Daniel Aceves obviously! But also all of my other friends who I love. As well as the Csuci art department and Luke Matjas especially who all taught me that I am an artist. Thanks!

Website: https://www.walterze.com/

Instagram: walter_zetsche

Image Credits
Grayson Stern