Edgar Rios
Artist Statement
I became interested in art when I was in the 11th grade, but I took a different approach into how it came to my view. The thing that got me hooked was a video titled Gymkhana Seven on YouTube, the way the car was designed and made was what made me pursue art. Everything from the tiger stripes going from gloss to matte to the way the sponsor decals were laid out to capture the viewer's attention, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. As I went through the final days of high school and into college I began to research how I could possibly start to create these designs and have them on cars. A couple years ago I started working at a vehicle wrap shop where all they do is change the color of your vehicle or for companies add a marketing design on the sides. During my off time, I began to do livery designs for cars that my friends have, more people started to see them and they began to ask if I could do some designs for them and now that’s what I mainly focus on. I began to get familiar with the programs used and I decided to pursue a degree in graphic design, so I can take my knowledge and apply it to what I am interested in, which is the vehicle scene. I feel that my work is important because it lets the customer be creative and express their emotions with the vehicle they have whether it's for a show or for a company. It’s also important because if a small company that is barely starting, they may not have the money for huge marketing but they may be able to come up with a design idea and be able to market by using their personal car. I hope this can impact society in the way that people become more creative with the designs they want to see in their cars and the way businesses can also use what I can do to benefit. The way I work is I'll sit with a client and let them explain to me what they want and how they think they can solve what they want. I usually already know what most people want so I can help them faster and explain to them what can go where so they can get the maximum attention for their company or personal vehicle. Problem solving for me is pretty easy since I have a few years of experience and have dealt with a bunch of people before and know that this design business is to know what the people want, not what you want.
