This Artist’s Hilarious Cultural Commentary Is Appearing Throughout San Francisco
Meet the man using the power of story to bring message back to art.
This is how you’ll meet him - head down, steady handed, eyes focused on the sheet in front of him, and farther still, into the future. He’ll look up. His warmth of spirit will beat him across the room, making you certain you’ve known him an eternity before you even catch his name. With a smile stretching the boundaries of his face, and a personality bursting through the confines of his frame - Arrington West is more than a creator of characters, he’s a larger than life one himself.
His story, and his love of story originate in Raleigh, NC. The path is never straight, but following that love brought him to San Francisco and now he’s taking over.
As a child, he loved cartoons. Art quickly became a way for him to create his own stories, he even made his own version of Pokemon, but it wasn’t until middle school that he chose it as his path. Forced to write an essay about what he wanted to be when he grew up, he told his mother he wanted to be a veterinarian. “A vet? Vets don’t make any money,” she said. So, he opted for plan b - being a cartoonist.
In high school, his skills weren’t strong and he wasn't yet dedicated to the craft, so he floated around different activities and the social scene. Then, junior year, things began to change. First, in his art class he felt challenged and inspired - both by the teacher and a younger, talented student. Second, a subscription card for Juxtapoz magazine with work by Buff Monster fell out of a fellow student’s magazine. He was moved by the work, and that began his slide back into the art world.
He began creating a new story. At the same time he wanted to be part of the street art culture, a hard feat in the south where being on the street late at night definitely means you’re up to no good. He found an artist at his school, and he made a character about him in his story as an in to the scene.
He continued to work on the story as he went on to college, studying art at North Carolina A&T University. He quickly realized that the story wasn’t of the quality he wanted it to be, and he dedicated his time to making it better. During this time, he had a dream of Sprae, who is the central character.
After returning from Japan for study abroad, something changed. The department had a new art director, RoyMieco Carter, and when he met with Arrington he presented him with a challenge - present an art show by the end of the year. He also explained to him the dedication to the craft that artists must have - long nights without sleep, missed social connections - to really grow. This inspired Arrington, and he dedicated all his time to meeting his challenge, which he did.
Still enchanted with his story, and the idea of story, he applied and was accepted into the Academy of Art for animation. Upon arriving in San Francisco, he was disappointed by the lack of creative ideas around him. Everyone was re-using the same story elements over and over, and that wasn’t what he wanted to do. He wanted to challenge existing perspectives. This drive and dedication to his own story put him behind in school, and eventually he was suspended.
To keep himself alive in San Francisco while out of school, he searched for a job. He found it at Upper Playground’s gallery, FIFTY24SF. Here, the key events that brought him to where he is now would occur.
First, he met founder Matt Revelli. Matt reiterated what his college mentor had told him about dedication. Second, he met mexican artist Jesús “Dhear” Benitez. While speaking about the turnout/success of the event, he told Arrington he knew he could’ve had higher sales if he’d sold out his style more, but that wasn’t important - sticking to the message was.
Suddenly, something changed. While drawing at the gallery, the lines and shapes coming out of his hands were different than they’d ever been. They were better. They were more consistent. They were the beginning of something new.
He was now able to go back to school, but he was paying out of pocket and barely making it paycheck to paycheck. On the morning his class began, he called his mother. “Will you tell me everything's going to be okay?” he said, and he broke down in tears. While the reason could have been money, it was really an eruption of the truth - he wasn’t doing what he wanted to do.
He finally accepted what he wanted - to be an artist. The story in his head could now be put out into the world, and he left school and dedicated himself fully to his craft.
“I live to come here after 7 and work to 4 so I can get just enough sleep. That’s what I chose.”
His original story is written out, and maybe one day we’ll get to hear it, but for now he’s focused on spreading his message. He wants to see more black street artists creating black figurative art. He feels the individuals whose culture a lot of mainstream art is based off of aren't getting enough shine, and he wants more representation on that front.
His newest work is centered around that motif. He’s using his work to question parts of his culture - not to deem them wrong, but to generate thought and discussion around them.
For now, we get to watch his story grow.
“I just want to forever be creating. I want people to think when they see my art, laugh when they see my heart — if they cry I hope they’re crying from laughter. I just wanna keep creating, keep pushing buttons, keep inspiring, because Iwant to go home and tell people you can do it - I did.”
If you think Arrington, or this piece, is awesome — help us spread his story by hitting the recommend button ❤.
This is part of a series on the stories of undiscovered artists, if you want to tag along on this journey follow the collection here, and sign up here to receive updates on the artists and new stories.
If you’re interested in keeping up with Arrington, follow him on Instagram: @aguycalledwest.
