This interview contains exclusive and never before publicized, printed, or viewed images. Please give credit, a hyperlink and/or referrence to both the photographer Eriberto Oriol @ www.eribertooriol.com and also to the interviewer and rightful owner of the interview itself XWHREAGL$DARE @ www.xwhereeaglesdarex.com. We worked very, very hard on this interview, so please do the right thing! Thank you!
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-The man behind it all!
Eriberto, thank-you so very much for taking the time to do this interview with us. Let’s hear some background and history behind yourself.
I was born in Indio, California but grew up in a community called Varrio Logan which is located in the city of San Diego. It was the most complex community in the state of California because of its heavy industrial waterfront. It was a community that was also split in half by a freeway and fractured by the San Diego Coronado Bay Bridge and surrounded by a military and conservative mentality with great overtones of racism. This was my real playground and which has had a great influence on my artwork to this day. I’ve lived half of my life in Los Angeles and came here to fully develop myself as an artist. I’m not a self-taught artist which I used to run as, although it sounds good, it as also a self centered ego and fake thing at the same time. We live in a world of people that are not in an isolated capsule. Our lives are influenced by many people and by our surroundings.
I have been a photo maker on and off for 30 years or so. I had an absent period for 15 years because I lost interest and wanted to just draw, paint and mess with sculpture. My son Estevan pulled me back into it because he wanted to do a father and son exhibit which took place at Shepard Fairey’s studio/gallery about 5 years ago. I resisted it at first because I didn’t want to look back at what I had shot in the past. Estevan recognized that’s where some of my strongest photos were and he was right. I was just beginning to shoot graffiti and that was becoming my main interest at that time.
-Estevan Oriol with Blink-182. An exclusive picture taken by Eriberto Oriol as seen on www.xwhereeaglesdarex.com. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE W/O PERMISSION!
From the get go, photography was a tool that I used as a community organizer to deal with issues that confronted my community. I quickly recognized the power of image and how you could open up a whole can of worms to utilize it to make social, political, economic and environmental statements. A few short years later, I began to make money from it but it has never been my primary source of income. I have been an urban planner, medical director, I’ve worked in construction, was a landscape worker and was also homeless (which becomes a job of survival) just to name a few!
-Travis Barker on the set of ‘Down.’ Yet another exclusive picture taken by Eriberto Oriol as seen on www.xwhereeaglesdarex.com. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE W/O PERMISSION!
As a long time fan of yours, I know your history very, very well but for those who aren’t as familiar of your background, let’s hear a list of your clients. I know how impressive they are and it only seemed natural for these types of people to come to you, but let’s get the public in on it…
Some of the companies I’ve done work for have been Oakley, Joker Brand, Nike, Vans, Adidas, Dickies, T-Mobile, Warner Bros, Soul Assassins, Altamont Apparel, Sole Technology and publications such as: Taschen, Rebel Ink, Juxtapoz, Scratch Magazine, RIME, Swindle, FRANK151, 38 Timez, San Diego Tribune, Downtown L.A. and several blogs internationally.
-Tom Delonge on the set of ‘Down’. Image shot by Eriberto and as seen on www.xwhereeaglesdarex.com. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE W/O PERMISSION!
As well as doing work for Estevan, I am at all of his photo exhibitions, book signings and everything else because I am a huge fan of Estevan’s work and I cover those events for Soul Assassins as well as my blog. Anyways, I never fail to see you there and I know how supportive you are of your son. I am a big fan of your photography and I actually knew of you before I knew of him. When he was growing up, was it a dream or want of yours for him to grow up and be a photographer like yourself?
I never dreamed of or pushed Estevan into becoming a photographer. Just before he became road manager for House of Pain and later Cypress Hill, my fourth and present wife por vida, Angelica and I saw that he had an eye for photography. He was experiencing some real emotional trips with a couple of girlfriends and with this crazy veteran whom he lived at in Hollywood with. The veteran was constantly threating him and his friends with their lives to the point where Estevan had to take necessary steps to get him off his back. Since these were such emotional times for him, along with hustling for work and money, all of these experiences began to appear in Polaroid images abd he was then experimenting with all of this at the time. They were so engaging that my wife and I decided to give him a camera and I suggested for him to document his experiences with House of Pain and his association with Cypress Hill. The rest is history… I’m sure that I’ve had some influence on him through my lifestyle but his photographic style is his very own!
-Estevan Oriol and Blink-182 discussing the music video for ‘Down.’
Another exclusive image taken by Eriberto and as seen on www.xwhereeaglesdarex.com. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE W/O PERMISSION!
Who is your biggest influence in your photography; dead or alive? Such person does not have to be a photographer himself obviously.
There are definitely many, for I used to spend hours in public libraries and magazine stands checking out a range of artwork on different subjects from artists around the world. Photographically: Manuel A. Bravo, Tina Modotti, Gordon Parks, Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton, Ansel Adams, David R. Baily, Andre Breton and Estevan Oriol.
Painters and sculptures: Diego Rivera, David A. Siqueiros, Jose C. Orozco, Frida Kahlo, Zuniga, Francis Bacon, Rembrandt, Pablo Picasso, Rodin, Michelangelo, Henry Moore, Alfredo Lam.
Classical: Precolumbian, African, Japanese, Chinese, European.
-The homie ‘Trouble – Travieso’ from Hawthorne Little Watts and Terry Crews on the set of ‘Down.’ Another exclusive picture taken by Eriberto Oriol as seen on www.xwhereeaglesdarex.com. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE W/O PERMISSION!
Most of our readers are probably most familiar with the photography work you did on-set on the video ‘Down’ by Blink-182. What did your work contribute to? Were they still shots for the video? I know Estevan directed it and my homie ‘Trouble – Travieso’ of Hawthorne Little Watts was the main character, so it was really cool to see people I knew as a part of that video. It is their best video in my opinion. Also, how did you get hooked up with that gig?
From time to time I want to photograph Estevan shooting the stuff that he shoots best and that happens to be people. So with Blink-182, I didn’t exactly know at the time know who they were except that he was going to be shooting a rock video and I just wanted to document him doing that. So I showed up and it’s something that benefited us both and I had a great time and continue to do so. I even put together a photo album of that day and all in black and white which I like very much. Check it out at my website!
-Eriberto Oriol capturing Travis Barker on the set of ‘Down.’ Another awesome and exclusive picture shot by Eriberto Oriol and as seen on www.xwhereeaglesdarex.com. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE W/O PERMISSION!
Your latest project is the t-shirt set with Altamont Apparel. Their creative director obviously has his ear to the street and knows what’s up. I’ve seen all of the t-shirts and dig all of them. How did you link-up with them?
I linked up with Altamont/Sole Technology through Estevan. He was approached first but was under a contract that didn’t allow him to do it so he passed them onto me. I was surprised with the images they selected because I thought they would be more interested in skater types since that seems to be their principal market.
-Eriberto Oriol capturing Estevan Oriol shooting “Down” by Blink-182. Exclusive picture, taken by Eriberto Oriol as seen on www.xwhereeaglesdarex.com. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE W/O PERMISSION!
There are major correlations between your work and your son’s. I don’t want to put anyone on the hot seat, but who influenced who?
Estevan is outstanding at shooting foxy women, celebrities, rappers, rockers, actors, homeboys and just people in general because he is able to bring out their character and not just their appearance. This, I know can be critical. Anyone can take a picture. The real question is; can you take one and do it consistently and bring out the real essence of your subject? This is why celebrities come to him and he is constantly evolving. Since he pulled me into work with him from time to time, after the exhibit at Shepard’s; I have greatly been influenced by him. I never cared much for shooting people straight on and for me that is his trademark and this is his influence on me. Like I said, I know I’ve had some influence and I think it comes from the rawness of my street images as well as from some of the women I’ve shot.
-Estevan Oriol filming Travis Barker for their ‘Down’ music video. This exclusive picture taken by Eriberto Oriol as seen on www.xwhereeaglesdarex.com. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE W/O PERMISSION!
When I first talked to Estevan, I asked him what sort of equipment he used and he was vague which I totally respect and understand. Would you be comfortable vaguely telling us what sort of equipment you use/used?
My tools are simple. I have a Nikon FM2 camera which I use basically just for black and white images. Three lenses are used with it: a 50mm, a 24mm wide angle, which is my favorite and a cheap $100 Vivitar 70-150mm. For everything else digital; Canon Rebel Tli: Three lenses: Zoom 18-55mm, 16-35mm wide angle which is another favorite and Zoom 28-135 mm. I’m not a techy so I basically just point and shoot and hope to be surprised!
-The set of ‘Down.’ Again, another exclusive picture taken by Eriberto Oriol as seen on www.xwhereeaglesdarex.com. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE W/O PERMISSION!
I swear… I’ve had your www.eribertooriol.com website bookmarked forever and I always catch myself checking it for updates. Any plans on getting more material up there soon? Same with Estevan’s… You guys need to update more! The public is hungry!
We are both working on updating our websites and we both know that they are over due! I will have an additional one that will pertain to the art of graffiti and will be called Forbidden Art L.A. I will also be doing a series in black and whites of beautiful women, more of the raw street stuff and will also start putting out some of my drawings and paintings!
-Estevan Oriol and Blink-182 planning the music video for ‘Down.’ Yes, another exclusive picture taken by Eriberto Oriol as seen on www.xwhereeaglesdarex.com. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE W/O PERMISSION!
Okay Eriberto, I can’t thank-you enough! It has been a pleasure and so great to interview you because I have been a huge follower and fan of your work. Also, I am just as big of a fan of your son, so it is such a one-of-a-kind opportunity to talk to the 2 generations of such talent that I am a fan of. Do you have any parting words?
There are many artists both photographically and through the visual arts that have influenced my art as well as my life.
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This interview was conducted by M@TT. Transcribed by $C@R and edited by M@TT.
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This interview contains exclusive and never before publicized, printed, or viewed images. Please give credit, a hyperlink and/or referrence to both the photographer Eriberto Oriol @ www.eribertooriol.com and also to the interviewer and rightful owner of the interview itself XWHREAGL$DARE @ www.xwhereeaglesdarex.com. We worked very, very hard on this interview, so please do the right thing! Thank you!
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[...] shot his son Estevan Oriol directing the video. Please take some time to read the interview here to learn more about Eriberto, his career, history, and lifestyle. Get [...]
Pingback by INTERVIEW: ERIBERTO ORIOL « March 15, 2010 @ 7:20 PM[...] HIT COUNTER ERIBERTO ORIOL X ALTAMONT APPAREL T-SHIRT RELEASE TONIGHT @ THE LAST LAUGH March 25, 2010, 8:03 pm Filed under: COLLABORATIONS, FRIENDS, PHOTOGRAPHY, SHOUT-OUTS, SHOWCASE If you have read our interview with Eriberto Oriol you might remember him speaking of his collaboration project with Altamont Apparel. Tonight is the release party of the Eriberto Oriol x Altamont Apparel collection at The Last Laugh. Make sure you stop by and get yourself some tees. If you haven’t read our interview with Eriberto make sure you check it out here. [...]
Pingback by ERIBERTO ORIOL X ALTAMONT APPAREL T-SHIRT RELEASE TONIGHT @ THE LAST LAUGH « March 25, 2010 @ 8:03 PM