Art Yap

SVA: Welcome to art app. Um, I'm gonna start this episode differently than all the other ones. I'm not gonna introduce you. I don't care about [00:02:00] context.
You told me you said you had a top secret project that you were gonna tell me about if you came on Art. Yap. And so you're on Art? Yap. And now I have to know what is it? Can you talk about it? Because you sent me a snippet and it was super cool.
RMK: Yes. Uh, I can't talk about it now. Um, especially by the time this is probably released.
Mm-hmm. The project is called Ghosts of the Ice, and I have been applying a residency in the Arctic, in the end Arctic. And I have basically, um, scratch my brain. What can I, what special art vision can I have to really make an impact of climate change? Mm-hmm. Which I think is sort of. The overlaying, uh, arc of the human demise, if you will.
Um, I feel like, I don't know if you watch Game of Thrones, but Oh yeah. If you see all those seven kingdoms fighting with each other and there's the white walkers mm-hmm. That's [00:03:00] sort of what I feel like it's going on in the world. We are all busy fighting each other with. Um, and, uh, working against each other, be it in gender and race and all kinds of, um, one country against the other.
Shawna Vesco Ahern: Mm-hmm.
RMK: And I feel like we are all missing the over overlying problem that eventually our kids or our kids' kids will have to face and we are not paying attention to it. And the project is, um, there's, there's two parts of it. Um, I. My idea was to come up with a, um, way of making people feel climate change.
Mm-hmm. When they look at a painting. And what I do is have the paint, paint in thermo chronic paint, which basically disappears when it gets hot.
Shawna Vesco Ahern: Yeah.
RMK: And so there will be special frames built. Mm-hmm. They out built [00:04:00] at the moment. And the painting sits within that frame.
Mm-hmm.
RMK: And then the visitor can come up and turn up the heat and then the painting disappears.
This is crazy.
RMK: This is amazing. Yeah. And it's, um, I've never heard of anything like this. Good. I'm so, I'm so happy and I hope, uh, people at the residency haven't either and I'm getting picked for that. And that, that will be next year. Yeah. And, uh, I have. F Uh, I, I, my, my goal is to bring back also, and I'm gonna mix it with the art world.
My goal is, as you know mm-hmm. I, I put a whole book out on. The appropriation art.
Mm-hmm.
RMK: And, um, I have painted many old masters and my, my goal is to bring back five of 'em.
Mm-hmm. And
RMK: for example, Clint's, uh, prophecy painting that got lost in the World War
mm-hmm.
RMK: Or, uh, Rembrandts, which was, um, stone from the Garden Museum.
Shawna Vesco Ahern: Right.
RMK: Um, so his only seascape painting basically. So I want to [00:05:00] bring back things and also. You know, visualize how fragile things are and how fragile, um, it can be again, to lose everything at any moment, at any time, you know?
When would you find out about the residency? Um,
RMK: so the reason why I sort of delayed all our, our conversation a bit is, I think due date is the, the 15th of July.
Shawna Vesco Ahern: Okay. Yeah. And so
RMK: I think sometime in fall. Mm-hmm. But my, my second path to this is. Just do it myself. That's what I
was gonna say. I think it's such a powerful project. I think we probably could find some funding for this somewhere.
RMK: Correct. Um, I'm actually have a kickstart already. Maybe by the time this will be released, I can, we can add the, the URL at the bottom or not.
It's sort of already to roll. I was just not sure yet. What path I'm gonna go one or two, the residence path or the personal path.
Shawna Vesco Ahern: Mm-hmm.
RMK: Either way, there is gonna be, uh, a lot of cost even with residencies there, right. 'cause I [00:06:00] have to build the frames, the special frames with heat coils in them. Mm-hmm. So that you can turn on and, um, so everything is a bit more complex than just a regular You're
an inventor too.
Yeah.
RMK: Yeah. And, and a huge adventure. I always thought. I always wanted to go, but it became very commercialized too. And
Shawna Vesco Ahern: yeah.
RMK: And, um, now you cannot look at Instagram without seeing either one of your friends or somebody who has already visited and like, and I'm like this, like, oh my God, okay, now I don't need to go anymore.
Shawna Vesco Ahern: Mm-hmm. But I
RMK: felt like I wanted to go not just with like a tourist sort of, uh, experience, but really like being in depth. The residency really in, in, in indulge. You basically put you in the field with the, with the scientists. Yeah. And so, which would be phenomenal. I
love like cross field pollination like that.
I think it adds to both ends of the work. I think that scientists can learn a lot from really, really imaginative, creative people and we can learn a lot from [00:07:00] research and method and practice. So that would be a really good marriage. Tell me about the trailer you sent me though, about the music.
RMK: Yeah. So I, uh, you know, I've been, uh, my second path in, in my life mm-hmm.
Work-wise is being a creative director. So I do a lot of, um, uh, storytelling. You know, I went back to film school. I worked for George Lucas in the past. So that is, is something I do on a day-to-day basis. And I've always had like a really growth mindset. And, uh, be it, I, I learned graphic design back on film.
Mm-hmm. While we literally took, uh, eight hours for a spread to lay out with copy and four layers of film and whatnot. Mm-hmm. And then mid nineties, Photoshop came along and, uh, everything changed really fast from almost one day to the other. And now we have the same thing with ai. And I don't see it as a.
Threat as much as that was my next question, I was like,
you don't seem to see it as a threat. You see it as another tool.
RMK: I see it as another tool. It gives me opportunities like you've seen the [00:08:00] trailer and we can probably link it by the time, hopefully it's out too. Mm-hmm. Um, it's really good. My kids
watched it over and over and over.
Awesome.
RMK: Yeah. Thanks. And I, as I've wrote the music, so I've also been in a band in the, in the late or the mid nineties I should say.
Mm-hmm.
RMK: And it was called Mistake and I. Sort of, um, wanted to envision how it would be if I had the band now in 2025.
It had like a kind of ethereal Bjork thing happening, like in the background of it.
Like it felt like her a little bit. Yeah. She's in your brain.
RMK: Oh, definitely.
Yeah. Yeah.
RMK: A lot of, as you can tell, music really shaped. My art. Mm-hmm. And I feel like that is, so I, I wrote the lyrics basically, and then there's a, a, a tool called Ika.
Shawna Vesco Ahern: Mm-hmm.
RMK: And, um, I, I'm not sure if I pronounce it correctly, but, um, it sort of basically transfers, um, you know, your lyrics into songs.
And, uh, I wanted to, for the trailer and everything I do. Use something [00:09:00] very, um, specific to, to me and to, to my goals. Mm-hmm. And not just use a, some, some other artist's songs or lyrics or, yeah. Because it's very specific, the story that I want to tell. So
it felt super legitimate and I was like, what is this project gonna be?
He already has like this solid trailer for it, and it had like a whole story and aesthetic and vibe built into it, and it really grabbed me and I was like, what is he cooking? What is he up to? Um,
RMK: yeah, actually the second, there's two trailers, so I'll, I'll, oh yeah, send me the second one. Yeah, I will, I will send you the second one as well.
Even I can you, you should also send me AI tools. I should be learning. 'cause I can tell you right now, I'm gonna put this transcript in the chatGPT and tell it to write all my social media posts for me. Put my ChatGPT to work.
RMK: But you use the script, which is an, an AI tool. Yeah. And then there's, um, I, I use runway for the trailer.
Shawna Vesco Ahern: Mm-hmm.
RMK: And, um, I can, it, it, it, it is a bit of a learning curve. A hurdle, but it's, it's not very steep.
Shawna Vesco Ahern: Yeah. [00:10:00]
RMK: And I think AI tools are made for. The everyday person. Mm-hmm. I mean, they're not really complicated. We don't need to program things or code things, you know, so it's,
as an elder millennial who's been here as this stuff has been really skyrocketing since the early two thousands, I feel like it's my duty to like once a week, keep pace, learn another AI tool.
RMK: Yeah, I, I, and I've, I've done this, I've sort of, um, embraced it more than, uh, being reluctant towards it. Mm-hmm. I, I'm an a, i, I do need it for work. And I have, I mean, I have a, a daughter who is uh, 20, she will be 21, and she does not like AI tools, and we'll see how her generation reacts to it. And that's totally a legit too, and I get it.
Shawna Vesco Ahern: Yeah, I
RMK: understand it. But if you are in the trenches of. Of San Francisco tech world at the moment, unfortunately, that's, you know, what people are looking for. Mm-hmm. And the hiring for most important. So I
think too, my background in literature and linguistics, I'm so interested in [00:11:00] semiotics and sort of how language operates that that extends into technology and thinking about how AI is programmed and then how that affects the output.
I just think it's. Um, intellectually very interesting. Yeah.
RMK: I mean, look, has, has the past been that different? I don't know. I mean, we used the stock photography that wasn't ours either. Right? Right. I mean, yes, somebody paid it. The difference is copyright issues and there's much that needs to be figured out.
Shawna Vesco Ahern: Mm-hmm.
RMK: And I'm not saying that I am like, um, in, in, I mean, the whole Studio Ghibli thing really rub me the wrong way. And, uh, I, I, I, I get that they put. Their whole life and soul into this. Mm-hmm. And, uh, I, I, I don't, I think there needs to be a lot of regulation about it. Absolutely. Mm-hmm. I, I don't disagree with that.
But in terms of workflow and tools and how it sort of makes our life a bit easier. Oh yeah. It
saves me hours doing this one man show right here. Yeah. I mean, you could get [00:12:00] on LinkedIn and get into a lot of fights about this if you wanted to.
RMK: Correct, correct.
Um, but let's get back to you as an artist, as an artistic, as a creative person.
When did this start for you or when did you notice it starting? Have you always been this way? Like even as a child and like what were some of your early creative obsessions?
RMK: Well, my, one of my early creative obsession there were, there were two. One is, uh, a comedian. I always wanted to be a comedian, so, um, yeah,
I did not see that coming.
You are funny.
RMK: Oh, thanks. Yeah. At times I can be, but it's also. Funny being funny in a different language. I think one of the things, when I learned here, I watched Jay Leno, like in the early 2000, back when he was still on.
Mm-hmm.
RMK: I didn't get the chokes. Like, I, I just be honest. Right. It, it didn't get the, just, it took me a long time to understand humor and get the chokes here.
Mm-hmm. And um, so that's why it was always, never even crossed my mind to become a comedian or, or, or pursued this [00:13:00] path here.
Yeah.
RMK: So, but what I did my. This was one of the path, which, which I was really, um, excited about, but uh, it got sort of shut down at my first communion mm-hmm. When the, it was a very Catholic thing, um, that I, I was sort of raised in that environment.
Um,
and oh, there's pictures of me in the whole white outfit in second grade doing first communion. Yeah,
RMK: exactly. Mm-hmm. Um, and, uh, they basically the, it's, it's sort of funny story too. Like he came up to me, so. He put, put this, uh, like the. And I was a Cardinal or whatever his title was, you know, and he said, Richard, what do you want to be when you grow up?
You know? And, and I said, well, I want to be a comedian. And, and he said, no, seriously, Richard, what do you want to be? I said, no, a comedian, I'm serious. Right? And, and he, he, I could tell he finally get frustrated, angry. That's not a job. What are you talking about? Right? And then he said, no, Richard, look, what do you want to be when you go up?
I, a policeman, you know, [00:14:00] I just wanted to get him off my back and like, uh, but it was funny
Shawna Vesco Ahern: policeman.
RMK: That's so funny. I know. That was my, I know.
Shawna Vesco Ahern: Yeah.
RMK: But, uh, I, yeah, I just wanted to satisfy him and, um, see what he likes to hear.
That's the most joby job for sure. That you could think of at that age. Yeah. At that,
RMK: at, at, at a quick, at, at this age.
Mm-hmm. You know, just, just like. Get him, um, back on my side. But, um, yeah, and the second part was, um, I, I was thinking about that story, um, a lot of, to like what really triggered the, the, you know, like I've became a, a designer ear very early on, and I think what, what sort of sparked that in, in, in my lifetime was like, I, I was a very, I was huge into movies, you know?
Mm-hmm. Like I love. Uh, you know, the, the minute you got a Vh s player and I figured out with my cousin how to copy one VHS to the other VHS tape. It was, it was all over from then on, like, we would go to the video store mm-hmm. And [00:15:00] if they had two for one, we would walk out with like bats of 12 video cassettes.
Yeah. And in the bus, you know, we had no car. Mm-hmm. So we just bus home with two large back video cassettes. And so, and then all those video cassettes needed, like, um. A cover and what you put them in. Right. So my sister, who is six years older
Shawna Vesco Ahern: mm-hmm.
RMK: To her de mice, uh, she was a collector, which I was a big fan of as well, a movie magazine called Cinema.
And um, I was just sort of. Borrowing it. Mm-hmm. And then I was studying, cutting things out and colling my own colors. Wow. And so I think that's sort of what a creative spark as a designer, that it really happens. Like, wow, this is cool. This is what I want to do. You know? So very, very early on, um, I sort of had this path in front of me, I think.
Mm-hmm. And we were talking earlier, sort of off microphone about how it's become a topic on the show where some people have trouble calling themselves artists. Have you ever had that problem, [00:16:00] or where do you think that might come from? Like, do we have such rigid criteria for what it means to be an artist maybe in America or something?
Or why is it such a problem to say, oh, I'm an artist? Is that embarrassing or you think you have to be struggling, or what's built into this?
RMK: I, yeah, I, I, I, I was, I was as, I wouldn't say shocked, but I, I, I keep hearing it from other, and not just in the artist world. I keep hearing it in professional world that what they call the imposter syndrome and so on.
Mm-hmm. And it's not something I could relate much to it because I genuinely never had that. Because for me it was always, I've created from very early on and it, for me, artistic abilities didn't pigeonhole into one direction. Yeah. And I think it sort of reflects in my art as well. You know, I'm not just doing one particular genre.
And so I think, um, I have, uh, I think you also mentioned the word creative, right? Mm-hmm. And. That's like, like I heard at, at, at a, at a previous spot. [00:17:00] 'cause everyone's creative. Mm-hmm. And I, I, I sort of would have to disagree with that. I don't think so. Mm-hmm. Because then, then, you know, like is a, is a, is a robber who rubs a bank creative because you get creatively in the, in the back alley and through a window or something.
I don't dunno if they have
disguises in a cover story. I think that's kind of creative. Yeah,
RMK: exactly. So maybe they are creative thing. Right. So. Um, I don't know. Like I feel I I, I never had to sort of, for me personally, it was never a, a, a struggle
Shawna Vesco Ahern: mm-hmm.
RMK: To, to, to call myself artists. 'cause I think I've always been one
Shawna Vesco Ahern: Yeah.
Who
RMK: creatively, uh, as in, in my work field. Mm-hmm. But also sort of laid on when I started painting more and more. So
I don't know if I'd call myself an artist, but my sister was about to spend $1,100 on Amazon on a. White bookcase. And I was like, the hell you are for two 50 in wooden paint, I'll make you a custom one.
And so I just posted that on Instagram. Okay. And, and she's like, how [00:18:00] like, and I was like. It was a drill, some wood glue and some screws. And I made this huge nice bookcase and I told her not to put her bowling ball collection on it. And hopefully it stands.
RMK: I think I did see it, but, but it was blue, wasn't it blue?
Yeah, it's blue. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Um, forget $1,100 for a white bookcase. It's just a staggered thing. And I looked at it, I was like, those aren't even interesting. Woodcuts. Yeah. They're not even finished. It's just, yeah. Look at you. You're very
RMK: artistic.
I just took the skill saw and went, see,
RMK: I couldn't do that.
Really? I, I, I can't, I can barely put a ke she together.
Yeah, that's what she was worried about. She's like, can you help me assemble this thing I'm gonna buy? And I was like, I'll make it from scratch. Yeah.
RMK: It's, it's very difficult coming from, I don't know where I went in to a different part because all my family's very hands on.
My, my dad used to put tapestry and, and carpets and, and hardwood floors into people's houses. My uncles is a whole. Carpenter shop and whatnot, but I did not, I never had that ability to do that, unfortunately.
Yeah. But you're gonna make some frames, so I guess you are about to [00:19:00] inherit your carpentry legacy.
RMK: Yes. Well, I, I do have to be transparent that somebody is helping me with the frames. Okay, good. I feel more comfortable because
I don't think you should start with this as your first project.
RMK: Exactly. Imagine the gallery, it's like, oh yeah, you can turn this on. No problem.
Yeah. When did you start painting?
Like, seriously painting.
RMK: Seriously painting. So I've had, uh, you know, I, I was a single dad and on the weekends I always painted with my kids. Mm-hmm. And I, we literally would sit in front of, uh, with three, um, um, little like, um, artistic, uh, what do you call it? Like, um, um, canvas Can Canvas and also. Or sketchbooks.
Okay. Sketchbooks. Sorry that took me a long time to
figure. Yeah. We'll cut out nine seconds of that. I won't worry about it. Right.
RMK: Um, so, so we will always sit around and do, um, sketchbooks. Mm-hmm. And um, and literally look through, um, online courses together or [00:20:00] YouTube, whatever we can find. And sort of, um, kept drawing and drawing.
I mean, I've been drawing for a long time and sketching also. Mm-hmm. Even when I was in my teens back then. But so seriously painting, is it, it's like when my dad passed away in 2016 and um, I have had, um, seen him like being really this powerhouse in, in life, right? Mm-hmm. He built house with his friends, basically by himself and
That's amazing.
Um, yeah,
RMK: and, and raised three kids with my mom together and, and. He was, um, but once he became retired
mm-hmm.
RMK: I felt like his whole sort of self worth was sort of fading a bit. Yeah. Because he couldn't physically do it anymore. Right. He, back in the sixties and seventies, there were no, um, uh, chemical, um, ordinances of the, everything he, he inhaled mm-hmm.
Uh, went right to his lungs. He was [00:21:00] not a drinker, but, but not at all. And so his lungs were completely sharp and. So, um, and he was a heavy smoker, unfortunately. Um, and so yeah, but there was no hobbies that he had when he got older. And, um, I saw him mostly then, you know, watching sports or maybe going for coffee once in a while.
And so I, I, I saw this like really big strong man sort of over time sort of diminish with, with. The one thing that he could do, he couldn't do anymore. Mm-hmm. So I thought that I wanted to have something that I can do until I follow up, basically. Yeah. Not maybe as, you know, maybe we will get more jittery and stuff.
Mm-hmm. But then I'll do pick than I do poll work. I don't know. Mm-hmm. Like I'll figure something out at that, at that time,
do you think having that family background. Of creativity, like, like the foundation for you, and do you also see your [00:22:00] children kind of carrying that on in certain ways? Are your kids showing like creative interests and leanings?
RMK: Yeah, I mean, for, for better or worse? Yeah. I mean, it is. Um, but my daughter is at uc, Davis currently, and she's doing graphic design and there you go. Cinematography and, uh, so it's, yeah, very much so I think, uh, I'm not sure. FFI mean, I assume I give them, I give them the bug. Mm-hmm. Uh, the creative bug in, in some ways.
But I know they have an uphill challenge, and I know they're, they're looking in the future, kind of like the topic AI, for example. Mm-hmm. That, that, that will change a lot. And my hope is that through, you know, I mean my daughter's almost finished, has one more year left. Mm-hmm. So I'm not sure how much she will be affected or can learn AI tools within, um.
Shawna Vesco Ahern: Uh,
RMK: the college and stuff. Mm-hmm. But, um, I'm hoping that that, you know, wherever she goes, that [00:23:00] she Yeah. Can, can find something that, that,
yeah. I think people learn how to pivot and we constantly learn how to put our skillset and our interests and plug them into capitalism. Yeah. And sometimes it takes long stretches and that can be really anxiogenic, but I think at the end of the day, if you're a creative person.
That also comes out in how you position yourself in the job market. You have to have an imaginative, creative approach to that as well. Yeah. So hopefully they'll be okay. It's so funny 'cause when I met you I was like, oh, a painter and I didn't really know about your like, professional career. Mm-hmm. And I didn't really know about all these other aspects of you that are creative and are artistic.
Um, and so I was like, oh, like his painting's amazing. Like if that's just the one thing he does, he's really good at it. But you're kind of like a quadruple threat. Um, what's one of your absolute favorite paintings or like a painting when you really knew like, I'm good at this. Like, I'm good at this, this is, this is a good painting.
RMK: Um, I, I, [00:24:00] I think it probably, it was when I did my first Klimt.
Shawna Vesco Ahern: Mm-hmm.
RMK: Um, because what I am personally, you know, some of the thing that sort of sparked for me, I always, I loved expressionism. Mm-hmm. So much like I. I've actually traveled to the south of Paria to where Fran Mark used to live. Mm-hmm. And Kandinski ka the whole blue rider group, basically back in the early 19 hundreds trying to absorb, absorb from the, I went to the Fran Mark Museum.
Mm-hmm. And the Kandinski house and it was, it, it's really beautiful scenery. And coming from Austria, you know, I'm not beautiful scenery, but you know, it's very idyllic and I can see all that influences. Especially with the horses and mm-hmm. And I think partially, I always thought, like I, I, I'm not sure why, but I, I most likely never will be, uh, able to afford a, a, a real k convinced game in my house.
Right? Mm-hmm. Or a real friends mark, or, and, uh, [00:25:00] not to mention that some of my favorite ones are gone. They're like lost, stolen,
Shawna Vesco Ahern: right. Um,
RMK: we don't know where they are. Like the Tower of Blue Horses is one of 'em, which I absolutely love. And. So I thought, and then, uh, same with Max Bechstein, which I'm a huge fan of.
Um, and so I started, why don't I try that? You know, and so I did a lot of expressionism. Mm-hmm. And I feel like people were, weren't taking it too seriously. They, they were still thinking, okay, well, you know, it's just, you know, I mean, I think when I did the Talo horses were, when people the first time started to put some attention, but then.
A friend of mine challenged me to, why don't you do a, a cl I said, A cl that you're crazy. You know, that's like, that is really, that's real painting, you know? Yeah. That's not just like expressionism.
Shawna Vesco Ahern: Mm-hmm.
RMK: And, um, but when I put it together, it's like, I, I, and that's later what I write in my, my book about the appropriation art.
It's all lines and, and circles. Mm-hmm. It's, and the more you do, the more you [00:26:00] draw, you know?
Shawna Vesco Ahern: Mm-hmm.
RMK: I don't, I don't know how many times I heard this, like, oh, I cannot even draw a stick figure, you know?
Shawna Vesco Ahern: Mm-hmm.
RMK: And I cannot paint. And it's no, you just don't want to learn how to paint.
Hmm.
RMK: I, and, and you can argue with me about this, but I've, every single person, I'm not doing any magic.
Mm-hmm.
You know
RMK: that every single person can paint. I really
doubt I can. I, I really
RMK: think you can. And it's, uh, it's, uh. It's easier than you think because I'm, I'm not, I don't think I'm, you know, I'm not taught, I, I'm self-taught. Yeah. I mean, I'm like, not out. I didn't go to a, a highend mm-hmm. School or anything to paint cls.
But when I, when I did a deal, black power
Shawna Vesco Ahern: mm-hmm.
RMK: Um, the woman in gold, that was the first time and I thought, okay, not bad. And then I did it on in me. Mm-hmm. Okay. Like, I, I always wanted, and then it was like. Oh, I can basically paint almost every, any painting I want, right? Mm-hmm.
Shawna Vesco Ahern: And
RMK: so I, I always, it, it was a challenge for [00:27:00] myself then to really dive into like, oh, now I can, I can paint any artist.
I can't have any painting in my house that I want. And, and so that's sort of where the spark also came from. Like, I wanna get better at this, but I also want to learn as many as different. Um. Techniques from other artists.
Yeah. And you really have, we talked a lot about this the first time I met you, um, kind of doing these appropriation paintings and it's, it's not copying, it's not a direct one-to-one transfer because there's so much that's happening that you're also putting into it.
Yeah. And so appropriation art is just such a fascinating topic and the way you write and talk about it is, I think, really important for other artists.
RMK: For me, it's like a, a dialogue with hi with history, right? Mm-hmm. So I think that's what it comes down to because it's not so much, because in the, in the context we exist today, we, we receive a claim very different than [00:28:00] people probably in the 19 hundreds.
Yeah. So, uh, you know, um, and that is partially why I feel like this sort of bridge between past and present, where we can still learn a lot from. What they put together. And one thing I don't do, as much as I'll lean on some new technologies, I actually don't go on YouTube or anything like that. So like, oh, how it did, I really wanna figure it out by myself.
Mm-hmm. So I like how does he impose the, the 3D little icons underneath? Um, and, and, and one of the things that I went to the no New York mm-hmm. Because I, I do a lot of research on my paintings too, like in life. And I can see, like, it's funny, I, I, I look at painting very differently than I used to. Mm-hmm.
Because I, I, I just look at things that I struggled with within this painting. Mm. And, and then I look at it how he did, how, how did he did this? Like how did he get to this? How did, and then it's like, I, when I, I [00:29:00] remember doing it first and I was like, I cannot. Get certain things, you know? Mm-hmm. Really, uh, symmetric.
And, and then I'm like, oh yeah, he struggled with the same thing. I can tell. 'cause it's like, um, the way he laid that out and they're not exactly the same, so he just stick. So that, that's really, it's kind of nice, you know? Mm-hmm. To, to figure out that, you know,
you're having like a secret conversation with these artists that I think maybe no one else ever has.
Yeah. Either. Which is very interesting. Yeah. Art criticism will be different. Clients trying to purchase will be different. Your perspective on it is like completely new. No one's ever thought about it, like, oh, was he struggling with this little part right here? Yeah.
RMK: And uh, and, and, and this is also part of Ghost of the Ice It's like, um, it's not just about climate change and, but it's also of bringing back past artists and having this dialogue. think I share my dreams with Ghosts is one of the songs that I've done. Mm-hmm. And. It's, it's when I paint, there [00:30:00] is a conversation going on. I, I am, I know that I, I don't wanna sound cuckoo here, but I feel like Klimt sitting next to me like, oh my god, Richard doing another one.
Can, can you please stop? This looks pretty awful. Like this literally goes through my head While I'm painting the ghost of Klimt Exactly. So,
wow. We'll just turn the music up louder.
RMK: Yes, exactly. Let's go back to, uh, David Poy painting or something.
Um, let me see. You don't have to talk about this if you don't want to, but I'm gonna ask you anyway.
We can just edit it out. One of the things, I think maybe you wrote about it on LinkedIn or we talked about it, we talk a lot about sort of the anxiety around being a creative in job markets. It's come up a couple of times since I've known you over the years and it probably won't stop. Um, but you mentioned that you showed up to your Lucas Educational Foundation interview.
With the rejection letter. Mm-hmm. From them. Yeah. Like in your pocket. [00:31:00] And I identify with that so hard. Like, I just think, I don't know, it feels very magical to me to do something like that. Why did you do that?
RMK: I, I wanted to show my dedication. Mm-hmm. Like, I think. When I told the story early on, I was really, I think Empire Strikes Back is one of the movies that really grabbed me.
Mm-hmm. Um, with Yoda, I was never very tall. I, I five seven or so, and usually kids in my class, I was always just the tiniest one. And so I sort of identified with Yoda in a weird way, you know? Oh, about my size. You measure me, you know, I don't wanna do that. You away now, but you, you get what? Yeah, I get it.
Yeah. So I think Empire Strikes Back was such a. Such as ET maybe because it was all so tiny. I'm not sure. Um, and Charles, it was one of, of the movies I grew up with, and I'm just really, really, um, yeah, inhaled them literally. And so when I first came to the States, it was like the very first trouble, [00:32:00] like I applied was at Lucasfilm.
Mm-hmm.
RMK: And I got this back in the days you got this postcard back, which I still have that says, thank you, partner. Thank you. You know, but with a Lucas logo. With the old Lucas logo on there. Lucas Arts, and he's like, ah, bummer. But my, I, I never, my eyes never left.
Shawna Vesco Ahern: Mm-hmm.
RMK: Like, I, I literally walked down, I, I was working as an art director then in San Francisco mm-hmm.
In the early two thousands. And I was like, I know this sounds silly, but I literally like trying to look in the direction of like where the Skywalker Ranch is, you know? Mm-hmm. I always had that in mind. I was, I never let it go. And um, and once I saw, I actually, by that time I had, uh, my own magazine.
'cause my daughter was born a few years earlier.
Mm-hmm.
RMK: And I sort of, uh, it was right after the.com crash.
Mm-hmm.
RMK: So I needed to also create something. Um, so a partner and I started a magazine in the Far East Bay back in the days. And, um, so then when, that's when I [00:33:00] saw. But Craigslist back in the day. So I chop post from, um, I think it was, uh, was our director for the Church Workers Educational Foundation, and I applied, we haven't heard back in months.
Mm-hmm. I said, okay, that didn't go anywhere. Right. And then suddenly they reached out and I just could not believe it. And you know, now I think it's even harder to apply jobs. Mm-hmm. But even back then, it, it wasn't as easy I, I felt. And I wanted to come with, with something really memorable. Mm-hmm. That and also show my enthusiasm for the role and show my resilience and yeah.
I will not give up until, until I once, uh, in my lifetime work for him. Right. So. Mm-hmm. And I think that is something I just kept plugging away. And then that's when I brought the card and, and, and Sharon was, the Marone, I think was her last name, was the HR person back in the days. And I think she was really.
Choose like she could not believe when she saw that card. Mm-hmm. You know, that's just pulled [00:34:00] it out
a relic from the past. A relic
RMK: from the past. And I think it, you know, I think a lot of time, I always say too, 'cause I'm a creative that hires creatives
mm-hmm.
For me it's skills can be taught. Mm-hmm.
But the attitude, you have to have a good attitude. You have to, you have to want it, you have to like, you have to show up. And I think that is so important in this lifetime too. So
well, thank you for coming to our TED Talk. I think that's a great note to end this episode on. Um, unless you have another story or something you'd like to unfurl.
RMK: Um, not really. Nothing particular. Just, you know, keep, um, looking out for, uh, the ghost of the ice. I think that's gonna be a great show, uh, hopefully that I can also. You know, go through galleries and the idea is then to make this a sort of travel exhibit. I was gonna say
that I think this could definitely travel.
Yeah. Especially
RMK: internationally. And then I even, even with [00:35:00] smaller version, I envision perhaps going to schools and maybe just bring climate change a bit closer to everyone. So,
yeah. Or even children's museums or something. Um, when I met with Recology, they said the fourth graders are like the perfect age to understand what's at stake.
Mm-hmm. And to start getting involved. In a way that can actually affect real change.
RMK: Yeah.
So I look very much forward to Ghosts of Ice. Yeah. And thank you so much for coming on R Thanks so much for
RMK: having me.
Bye. Thanks. Bye. Yes. Good. Let me, that was great.
RMK: Thanks. Yeah.
What's the wifi? The Wii, um,
RMK: ner. BR, there it is.
Yeah. And then is no wifi for you all. Smaller case.
That's rude. Ah,
is the four A four or FOR?
RMK: FOR? Yeah. No wifi for [00:36:00] U. Yeah, just written out. It's
thinking about it. I didn't like that. I laughed about it.
RMK: I was all probing for the tough questions you had on your list.
But they all came up in, in different ways. Okay. Yeah. You know what I mean?
RMK: Totally agree.
Happy to send you the, the, the MP three if you wanna.
I was gonna say, send me everything you have and, um, to
RMK: end with the song, I can show you the other.
I'm not sure which one you thought of first. For the second one,
the one with has the seal and the whale. I don't know if they both do.
RMK: Oh yeah. No one has not a seal. [00:37:00]
So remind me while I export this to 5,000 places,
RMK: the second trailer explains it a bit more. I think the first is more like.
The first got me. 'cause I didn't know what was going on. High level. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. I was like, I don't know what this is, but I like it.