DOWNTOWN 500 ZINE EXHIBITS

CACHO FALCON

IN 2003, CACHO STARTED UP THE “THERAPEUTIC DENIM”—JEANS CUSTOM PAINTED WITH PERSONAL IMAGES. HOW DOES IT WORK? THE CLIENTS BROUGHT THEIR DENIM TO FALCON, AND AS THEY TOLD HIM ABOUT THEIR LIFE, HE RENDERED THEIR STORIES AND CONFESSIONS ONTO THE MATERIAL. THESE DRAWINGS WERE THE BEGINNINGS OF FALCON’S IDENTITY NARRATIVES. THE DRAWINGS ALSO MARKED THE BEGINNING OF HIS DREAM-LIKE STYLE, WHICH IS OFTEN SITUATED IN A PSYCHOLOGICAL TAPESTRY OF PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SPACES, NOT DISSIMILAR TO THE URBAN SETTING FROM WHICH FALCON LIVES AND WORKS.

IN ADDITION TO FALCON’S “THERAPEUTIC DENIM,” HE BEGAN CUTTING AND FITTING T-SHIRTS WITH A SIMILAR ARTISTIC IDEA. THE CUSTOM-MADE GARMENTS DISPLAYING UNAPOLOGETIC AND INDIVIDUAL EMBLEMS OF EXPERIENCE OR IDENTITY CAUGHT THE ATTENTION OF PERRY ELLIS, WHICH LED FALCON TO FASHION WEEK IN 2004. ELLE MAGAZINE INCLUDED ONE FALCON’S DENIM JACKETS ON THEIR PAGES IN DECEMBER, AND SOON AFTERWARDS, FALCON DESIGNED A ONE-OF-A-KIND COLLECTION OF DENIM FOR GUESS. IN 2005, AMERICAN IDOL WINNER, CARRIE UNDERWOOD, WORE A PAIR OF FALCON JEANS TO THE FINALS.

 

WITH THE ATTENTION HE RECEIVED IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY, THE GUY -FALCON ALSO WORKED ODD JOBS AND LIVED IN SMALL APARTMENTS THROUGHOUT BROOKLYN, WITH OTHER YOUNG PARAGUAYANS TAKING ROOT IN NEW YORK CITY. WHILE FALCON FOUND THIS WORK BOTH INTERESTING AND SOMEWHAT BLEAK, HE WAS STILL LARGELY MOTIVATED TO MAKE WORK BASED ON PERSONAL EXPERIENCES.

 

IN 2006 HE Decided TO DEVOTE THE MAJORITY OF HIS WORK TO PAINTING AND DRAWING. HERE, FALCON WAS FORCED TO REVISIT HIS OWN PAINFUL CHILDHOOD AND EARLY ADULT EXPERIENCES. HE BEGAN TO PAINT HIS STORIES—RIDDLED WITH TORMENT, ABUSE, ADDICTION, AND THE FAILURES OF PAST RELATIONSHIPS—HE WAS OVERWHELMED AND ASHAMED BY THE SIGHT OF HIS OWN CONFESSIONS AND KEPT THE CANVASES HIDDEN IN A CLOSET AWAY FROM HIS FRIENDS AND ROOMMATES.

 

SOON AFTER, HE WOULD START FOCUSING ON OTHER PEOPLE’S STORIES…

FALCON DISCOVERED IT WAS MUCH EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO SHARE THEIR DARK EXPERIENCES WITH A STRANGER. HE RECEIVED MANY ANONYMOUS EMAILS FROM PEOPLE TELLING THEIR STORIES OF LOSS, HOPE, REGRET, AND LOVE, WHICH IN COMBINATION WITH HIS OWN PERSONAL STORIES, BECAME THE BASIS FOR A MASSIVE COLLECTION OF DRAWINGS AND PAINTINGS.

 

BEYONCE AND TINA KNOWLES STUMBLED UPON FALCON’S WORK BY ACCIDENT WHEN ONE OF THEIR STAFF MEMBERS WAS VIEWING THE SITE. MOVED BY FALCON’S WORK AND HIS CONNECTION WITH PEOPLE, THE KNOWLES FAMILY BEGAN WORKING WITH FALCON ON A T-SHIRT COLLECTION. Also, TINA KNOWLES HELPED LEAD FALCON DESIGN THE T-SHIRT FOR MICHELLE OBAMA’S LET’S MOVE CAMPAIGN. WHILE FALCON STILL ENJOYS HIS FASHION-BASED WORK, HE CONTINUES TO WORK AND SHOW PRIMARILY AS A PAINTER.

DOWNTOWN 500 ZINE INVITES HIM INTO OUR SOCIAL ARTISTRY COLLECTION, AND HERE ARE SOME QUOTES FROM THE ART THERAPIST

 

DT 500 ZINE: – You have lived in BK, Williamsburg, for a long time; Cacho, what is your origin?

 

CHACO: – I’m originally from Paraguay.

 

DT 500 ZINE: – You seem like a colourful persona; tell us more about you?

 

CACHO: – I’m more of a loner. Few friends. Do love people.

 

” Meeting new people and learning more about them is significant to me, making it easier for people to open up to me.

 

CACHO: – I discovered this at a very young age. 

 

” I would draw things I couldn’t talk about with anyone.”

DT 500 ZINE: – Why painting?

 

CACHO: – Art is essential to me because it is my confidence.

 

” When I do art, I’m recreating myself, and it’s like looking into the mirror of my soul. It’s terrifying sometimes, but at least I’m having a conversation and acknowledging what’s happening at the time.”

 

CACHO: – My inspiration gigs from situations I put myself in and the people I meet.

 

DT 500 ZINE: – Tell us about the latest work you did?

 

CACHO: – My latest work is body paint.

 

” Blending people’s stories with mine and finding the similarities. I push the boundaries to a vulnerable place; I like to do that with my subject.”

DT 500 ZINE: – Why So?

CACHO: –

” I think it is good for us to push and be out of our comfort zone.”

CACHO: – This year, I’m having a show back home in Paraguay and working on a new concept which is much softer and simple. But we will see, and I’m just experimenting.

 

DT 500 ZINE: – What is the story of your work?

 

CACHO: – The body art is an exploration of yourself. We talk about your story; I paint that on your naked body.

 

” After covering your body with your story, I take pictures of you to later clean you in the shower. It’s almost like having an affair, where everything we do or talk about goes down the drain. Then usually, I’ll dress you, and you go back to your everyday life.”

DT 500 ZINE: – Achieving for what?

 

Cacho: – I want to be able to keep on doing what I do. Oh, and never fly coach again. That sums it up.

 

DT 500 ZINE: – The place you are living today?

 

CACHO: – My Neighborhood is Williamsburg, BK. My home is in heaven. I have a great light, which gives me the feeling I’m outside. I like that because I’m a person that doesn’t leave this place so much.

 

” I do an installation at home every week, so I create the environment I want to leave for that week. I create my own little world according to my mood, and this is the place I create.”

DT 500 ZINE: – ongoing plans?

 

CACHO: – I never plan. I go with the flow. If I get presented with opportunities I like to be part of, I do it; otherwise, I just stay home and create. It’s the way to do it, but that’s the only way I know how to work.

 

DT 500 ZINE: – warm regards, CACHO!

 

#RAPTURE!

 

Interviewed by © Arthur Sopin n Andreas Rod