Today we’d like to introduce you to Grant Nasto.
Grant, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started with drawing and painting like every kid. For me, I had a natural obsession to draw growing up in the midwest. I moved to San Diego at eight years of age, and it wasn’t actually until high school with close friends that I became interested in it again and wanted to pursue it more than a hobby. I really didn’t know what I was going to do, but my passion grew and having that early art community to push myself further motivated me and was my early foundation.
I explored graffiti which I enjoyed because it was more of a dying art form and felt I could relate being more of an outcast. I became interested in street art movements and the freedom it had. From that, It opened up doors to discovering different artists which at the time was a revelation to my imagination of what limitless potential you can do, or who you can be in art. I had a close friend pass in high school of a tragic accident, who I drew with constantly.
I believe through that incident, art became more of a cathartic means to cope, and it further solidified my pursuit to art as it gave back in such a nurturing way. It became more of a spiritual means to self-awareness at that point as well. After High School, I meddled in art classes amongst the San Diego community colleges. I then got into a 4-year extensive fine art program at Laguna College of Art and Design. It was there I met some of my painting heroes I still look up to today and also truly learned what I did not want in art either.
My obsession was reborn more thoroughly, being a full-time art student. I was drawn to the power of the myth in art, folk art, symbols, occult, spirituality, and history. After completing my college program, I came back to San Diego unsure of the direction I wanted. I stumbled blindly into Barrio Logan’s art community, that embraced my wanderlust for an art home at the time with open arms more than any place I found throughout San Diego.
The space I built as a studio pushed me into my independence of where I am today, and not only motivated me as well as cultivated how I identify myself as an artist living in San Diego.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The way art is in itself being absolute freedom makes it hard enough to sit down with a style and concept authentic to yourself at all times. Artists are born cursed problem creators, as well as blessed problem solvers. Besides the constant struggle with art directions, facing whatever life throws at you is sometimes quite difficult to interpret through art.
I think a lot of people think its easy if you have talent, but it’s a whole different process to translate art into therapy based for survival. I’ve struggled with art school majors switching multiple times, wanting to drop out, self-esteem and the self-doubt. I always liked this modern meme that I felt I could relate to that I feel could sum up the road as an artist.
It is a dual circle diagram having art as the balance in the middle between the two circles, one being crippling self-doubt and the other extreme narcissism. It’s a funny yet realistic way to poke fun at yourself when the road is not so smooth. To remember it always comes in extremes, and to be hopeful that art can be used to balance whatever it may be.
Please tell us about Gnostik Squid Gallery.
My gallery is a showroom of my recent works, as well as featuring local photographers or close artist friends. Its unique in the sense it has a very humble d.i.y gallery feel that gives a small handful of artists a first audience or way to show. I definitely would like to grow to promote more, but my space is limited to more of what creations I’ve been up to, and in a way makes it feel less lonely.
I create mixed media art pieces based heavily in ink drawings. I would like to summarize it as new folk art, as it pertains heavily to up-cycled mythological symbols, folk symbols, spiritual and occult to tell new myths. Illustrating heavily on duality, the human psyche, and exploration of consciousness while feeding my obsession of art history as I enjoy appropriating bits from different eras.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
In a way, my art gallery always feels like a blank canvas. I feel like I’m honestly starting over every time I’m in there, or at least seeing it in fresh eyes of what I can do to make it better. I always feel optimistic that it’s never too late to change anything, so in that sense, I never have any regrets.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2195 Logan Ave. Barrio Logan 92113 Studio 6
- Website: www.cargocollective.com/grantnasto
- Phone: 8583345678
- Email: gnasto9@gmail.com
- Instagram: gnostik_squid
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