As a muralist, Mel Depaz is a storyteller. But when you look at his work in general, it becomes clear how much his environment influences what he paints with his brush. She's all about community.
Mel's paintings are about Compton and the elements that make up the city. I think their work is very important because it allows the people who live here to have a vision of their community. For example, his mural with the Compton Cowboys. When you go through the city, you don't see people riding horses at all hours of the day. So Mel's work makes you wonder: Where are they? How do I approach? His work invites the public to look closer.
I met Mel at his family's home on the east side of Compton, before taking a short drive to see his murals. Like her large-scale work, Mel's paintings tell the story of our shared city.
Mr. Wash: All your work and all your practice is in outer space. Let's talk about it in the sense that it is your studio. What do you like about this?
Mel Depaz: Getting to know the neighborhood. I don't use spray paint. I only brush, so it takes me a while. I usually spend at least a week on a mural and get to know the regulars. People are really nice, at least they've been nice to me. They offer me free food and sometimes free drinks.
I feel like I know different areas of Los Angeles pretty intimately. I've been outside and I'm looking at all the cars and watching people go by. I like that look. And then I also like to be away from home all day and come back and be tired. I like to be exhausted at the end of the day. It's a good feeling. Damn, I really put a lot on the wall.
MM: What don't you like about this?
MARYLAND: Sometimes it can feel incomplete and you feel vulnerable. The other day I was on the stairs and I had a new box of paint, and a guy got out of a car and stole it. But he came back ten minutes later. He said, “Sorry, I changed my mind.”
MM: Actually? Wow. Can you talk about the practicalities of having an outdoor practice?
MARYLAND: The reason I haven't moved into a studio or rented one is because, as a muralist, you don't really need one; the outside is your studio. So I only have one car. I prefer to spend what I would spend at a studio on a car, because I need a big one. I have to think about transportation, space and things like that.
MM: I'm going to Texas to work with my nephew Poncho. He is a muralist. He basically works out of the bed of his truck, going back and forth. So you're working as an artist here in Compton, you mentioned you have a car. Is it a hatchback? Is it an all-terrain vehicle?
MARYLAND: A jeep. A Wrangler. It has storage capacity for cubes and things. I used to drive an older Camry and it got to the point where I was crossing stairs through the passenger seat and I dropped the spray can in the back seat. I checked it. So I thought, okay, I can get a used car. But I also had a car trauma – the check engine light came on and the dashboard lights came on. So I thought: I can get a used car or just buy a new car with space. And I really needed one that is closed. If I buy a truck, someone could steal my stuff while I'm having lunch. With the Jeep, I've been good at keeping it clean. I'm thinking of buying it. But that's why I thought, let me buy a car instead of a studio, because that's really what I need.
MM: Smart decision. How long have you been a muralist?
MARYLAND: Six years. The National Health Service [Neighborhood Housing Services, Center for Sustainable Communities] one was my first mural.
MM: Can we talk about that connection?
MARYLAND: That was the first time I saw you. That was crazy. I got the opportunity to paint that mural because I did a painting for Patria Coffee. That's the first Compton-based painting I did.
They had a regular client who worked at the NHS center and he got my Instagram. He said: I see you have no experience in murals, but we need a muralist. Would you mind finding another Compton artist who might have experience? I had seen Antonio [Lee Pittman, also featured in this book] at a show maybe a month before. So I messaged Anthony and said, “Hey, I have this opportunity. I have a meeting tomorrow. Do you want to be a part of it?” We met literally 15 minutes before the meeting and got the job.
When I was painting with Anthony, one day you came. I had just gotten off the scissor lift and then you said you were supposed to paint the wall, but you were too busy. I thought, that's crazy.
MM: Yes. That was crazy. That was a long time ago. What was it about the first mural that hooked you and made you want to continue doing them?
MARYLAND: I think I just liked being able to drive somewhere and see how big it was. I've always been a fan of street art and outdoor work, and even graffiti is a path towards that. I've never been good with graffiti or anything like that. So I brought what I learned in school to the walls through painting.
I grew up on the east side of Compton and I would say I feel more connected to Compton in general now that I've been in small pockets for several hours and days.
– Mel Depaz
MM: Well, you're very good at what you do. Tidy, clean and a storyteller. How many murals do you have in Compton?
MARYLAND: I've done 27 in total and 14 in Compton.
MM: How do you think painting murals in Compton has changed your relationship with the city?
MARYLAND: I grew up on the east side of Compton and I would say I feel more connected to Compton in general now that I've been in small pockets for several hours and days.
I wouldn't sign the first murals I did because I wasn't very happy with what I was doing. I still felt like I was learning. But I signed these last ones that I painted. This older Latino man came up to me and said, “Hi, mija. I've seen your work before. I want to thank you for everything you've done. I looked up your name and couldn't find it, and I'm so happy you're here.” And then he gave me some money for lunch. I guess he was religious and blessed me.
It was a nice moment because I didn't even know people knew about me. And there are little moments like that where it's like, oh, people are really looking and you don't even realize.
MM: I was thinking that a lot of people who live in Compton see your work as part of their daily lives, and there's something really special about that.
MARYLAND: Lately I've been feeling more proud of what I've been doing. There's more of a sense of, damn, I really did that. But at first it was kind of imposter syndrome. I don't really know what I'm doing, but I'm going to keep doing it.
MM: That's how it grows. Listen, same thing here. When I painted the first painting, I knew what I wanted to try to do, but when it came out to the brushes, it wasn't what I had in my head. It was just something totally different.
I thought, should I start over? Should I quit? Should I throw it away? I said, no, I'm going to keep it and find lessons within that and just build off of that. You get better and better.
This interview was taken from Artists in space by Mr. Wash, available to order starting in February. 16. Fulton Leroy Washington, Also known as Mr. Wash, he is a self-taught artist and criminal justice reform advocate based in Compton. All book sales will go to Art by Wash Studio & Community Center. Mr. Wash's work has been exhibited at Jeffrey Deitch LA, the Hammer Museum, LACMA, the Huntington Library, the Palm Springs Art Museum, and more.
