Gustavo Zermeño Jr. Paints For His City And Himself

Gustavo Zermeño Jr. is a painter from Venice, Los Angeles. He’s known for large, outdoor murals depicting SoCal sports and music icons, as well as detailed airbrushed paintings rich with subcultural details, including lowriders, skaters, and graffiti. Zermeño’s work spans the spectrum from underground to prime time. But most important, his paintings are offerings to the city that raised him, as well as to the people, places, and things that nourished his creativity. On the eve of his first solo gallery show, What Was, What Is, What Could Be, which opened at Beyond the Streets the day after this interview, Complex chopped it up with Zermeño to discuss his creative processes, Los Angeles, personal style, and why, despite his best efforts, everything he loves ends up with a “drop of paint on it.” This interview was edited for concision and clarity. You grew up in Venice, which is a neighborhood where multiple subcultures come together. Venice has lowriders, surfers, skaters, graffiti writers, and more. How do you integrate that rich history into your artwork?I always talk about Venice as a melting pot. I literally grew up with people that were millionaires and people that were on assisted living, Section Eight...