Meet Jason Villegas, maker of the Yarn Embroidered Gun. He also submitted the Totem Pole Ornaments, which fit right into his daily work. Read on to find out how...

Hi Jason. After Googling you I find out you’re a fine artist for a living? That’s fancy. What does that mean, exactly?
Truthfully, it's not that fancy. We all know the cliche of the starving artist, but I'm a chubby starving artist! I call myself a fine artist because I devote most of my time and energy to the pursuit of my contemporary art practice. I am always evolving and expanding my artistic interests and aesthetic. My main goal is gaining exhibition opportunities in the museum realm, which can result in critical acclaim, publication, and validity. Unfortunately for me at this time, great reviews don't pay the bills. 

What does pay the bills?
For a real living, meaning a roof over my head and energy in my outlets, I must still search out freelance works of any sort. In Houston, [where I lived before moving to NYC,] it was much easier to live strictly as an artist by selling work, gaining grants, producing public art, and art education through public school programs. Living these past six years in the Big Apple has been more difficult since there is a ridiculous amount of artists competing for the same scraps of art jobs and gallery representation. I find myself doing much more manual labor and odd jobs than I ever thought my fragile mind and body could handle. The struggle is why I came here, and I do believe I have grown as an artist because of it. Although it is my dream to be able to sustain a comfortable level of existence through my creative output, the current economic instability is keeping that goal just out of fingers' reach for the time being. I work hard and sharpen my NYC hustle and have begun to reap the rewards that can only be found here, so I have no regrets in my decision to challenge my comfort levels by entering the art arena fighting for my share of the prize.

I heard you used to work in Betsey Johnson and used a lot of damaged samples or free stuff from there, deconstructed everything as materials for your art. Care to talk about that?
When I left graduate school at Rutgers in New Jersey I found it very difficult to attain an arts-related job in the city, being that I didn't attend a New York school, so my networking was next to nothing. I might as well have just rolled into town straight off a hay ride from Texas. After stretching leftover school loans, I thankfully got my foot into the door at Betsey Johnson on Madison avenue thanks to my friend and fellow artist Adriane Schramm [who made the Googly Eyeball Dress, which was on the RM100 Honor Roll]. She was already a Betsey girl and convinced the other sexy girls to let a husky not-so-gay boy into their small circle of employees. I had to turn on the charm and gay it up to make it work.

For such expensive garb, things often fell apart or lost buttons, and the jewelry was just plain cheap and broke all the time. I've always used thrift store finds to make art or ornamentation, so this was just a little more high-fashion thrifting. I use fabric from used clothing so it was natural to do the same with the Betsey damages, but I did begin using more chains and jewelry trinkets in my spirit banners, so I supposed it helped to bulk up banner ornamentation and add to the faux religious iconography look of excessive gold trim and gaudy displays of luxury, be it broken or knock-off.

You received a Socrates Sculpture Park Emerging Artist Fellowship, and you made a totem pole. What was that all about?
The Animal Logo Totem is a six head totem derived from animal fashion logos like the Lacoste crocodile. I began making chunky weaponry based on the croc, tiger, panther, hare, fox, and dragon. One day I stacked the forms and it resembled a totem pole so I ran with that motif, creating many variations of the totem form. Throughout its yearlong exhibition I tied more sales banners and trinket banners as offerings in ceremonial parody. It is meant to symbolize a multi-cultural spiritualism born of globalization and consumer culture.

What was the impetus for the gun? How did it serve a personal need?
I was making enlarged pop parodies of fashion animal logos and was really enjoying the look of the yarn embroideries on cardboard. After exploring many animal types and silly jokes, I moved onto objects to be branded by the actual animal fashion logos. I made a series of luxury weapons so that's where the gun came into being. I was obsessed with a series of six to match each animal that made up my mythology. So I made six handguns in varied color schemes and styles.

In what ways are you a “maker”?
I love to make everything that I possibly have materials to make. I love making pretty food and decorated baked goods. I enjoy DIY interior design and make furniture and wall decor including creative lighting. I love to change a space though an environmental installation as well. I am always busy making something with my hands or through technology with my fingertips.

What are you working on lately?
I am working on a new series of digital print projects of interiors inspired by fabric portraits of celebrities, especially Michael Jackson. I create a digital interior space designed around a fabric portrait then fill it with digital designs or found imagery from the internet. Then I will create a collage that I will animate for a video piece then I will affix the collage to be presented as a framed work. I am also working on a new video series titled "Crafty Like a Fox" where I playfully demonstrate a different craft project sharing all my secrets to DIY design and creativity. From decorative to functional to edible, I make a new project and also invite fellow artists, musicians, and fashion designers to join in on the fun.

What does being a RM 100 finalist mean to you?
I'm super excited to be in the top 25 and am most thrilled to know the scope of talent that are judging now know my work and have seen what I do. I love Jonathan Adler, so to know he dug my gun makes my year. Also a boy can dream that maybe I will one day be able to do design work for him or show artwork in his spaces. Also as an emerging artist I am always happy to have more printed press and internet exposure so I'm very thankful for the coverage!