It might feel strange to think about the world after you’re gone, but I think it can be helpful. Here’s what I mean.
Have you ever asked yourself why you do what you do? Is it just for money or is there something else driving you? For me, I make art because I believe it is a gift God gave me. To not pursue it would be a disservice to God and myself and I certainly don’t want to piss off the lord!
Beginnings. At my apartment in Chicago, Illinois in 2020.
So what can one do to sculpt a lasting legacy? Some important questions I ask myself each day are: How will this work contribute to the world in a positive way? Will it have a lasting impression? Will it make people think or challenge them in any way?
Below, I wrote out a few things I try and live by to cultivate my legacy. Everything has an expiration date. We can’t live forever, but maybe our work can.
Me with the owners of Yuca’s at their “hut” in Los Feliz, California.
Investing in your community: When I moved to LA, community was paramount. I wanted to be part of some place with a rich history and culture. I love being a neighbor, living and working side-by-side with good people. I landed in a place that fosters individuality, creativity, friendship and diversity. I'm really proud to incorporate people I meet and businesses I love into my art. The story of where I am and who I'm surrounded by, at any point in time, is always alive in my work.
The first restaurant in Los Angeles to welcome me with open arms. The wonderful Casita Del Campo in Silver Lake.
Rarities: I remember hearing a quote from the band Radiohead. Someone asked them why they don’t make a record like “OK Computer” again. The response was something like…”Does an artist paint the same picture twice?” Well if you’re Van Gogh, sure, you paint your bedroom three times. But even then he did it because the others were damaged and each one wasn’t re-created quite the same. With any luck, I’ll continue to grow as an artist and my past work will serve as a solid foundation for the work that lies ahead.
Sometimes I daydream about a time when a gallery might have this show: “The early works of Darren Vorel.” Art is unique in that once it is created, it is the only one in existence. When I make prints, I will almost always make them a limited run without the intention of re-printing. I do this so you know you’re getting something really special, rare and unique. Not something that is mass produced.
One of the official Darren Vorel Stamps of Authenticity.
Excellence: It’s very tempting to cut corners. Every now and again I use a “life hack” on a mundane task (anyone else peel the banana from the bottom?) but for the most part you gotta do the work. Put your all into what you’re doing. People can tell when you take easy street. Maybe this gets the job done at first, but over time you’ll pay for it. How do you want to be remembered? Are you the person who builds the house with balsa wood or do you build yours with that good solid oak?
Intention: Every great piece of art has an intention. It might not be perceived the same by everyone, but the artist has a reason to create. Even if they don’t realize it. A thought. An energy. A motivation. A comment on the world. This is a big part of why some works of art age with merit. A great piece can be a teleportation device to a different time. Have you ever stood in front of a landscape painting from the 1800s and felt the blades of grass or waves in the water? Can you smell the ocean? Does it feel different back when modern technology didn’t have its grip on you? What was it like to BE there. Great art speaks to every sense.
Oil portrait of a motorcycle against an old abandoned apartment complex on Sunset Blvd. The building was torn down days after I painted this.
Love: The universal language is love. Something we all understand and relate to. Do the work because you love to do it. For yourself and for your audience. Who knows, you might be the next Cassatt, Van Gogh, O’Keeffe, Warhol, or Basquiat speaking to folks from the great beyond.
Thanks for taking your valuable time to read through some of my thoughts on how an artist creates a legacy
Darren Vorel