I met Jordan Bogash for the first time in a wooded area somewhere within the San Francisco Presidio. By way of introduction, he uncovered a tattoo on his upper butt cheek that read “cream of the crop” in shoddy cursive. At that moment, I realized I had just met a very special human being. Since then, I have seen his art and life take shape in all sorts of fantastical, absurd, dangerous, sometimes sad and hilarious ways. The images he composes immediately elicit a noticeable reaction that is seemingly rare in the field of painting.

To talk about his artwork, deconstruct it in an earnest attempt at ascertaining his paintings’ deeper meaning, is understandable. However, if I were to do this in his company, he would probably crack some perfectly timed, devastatingly funny joke at my expense. Simply put, the images Jordan crafts are sheer entertainment; he renders impastoed acrylic scenarios, sometimes crude and always humorous, that make us laugh and reflect with glee. “Remember that time you and all your friends almost died, some of you were really upset, maybe crying, and perhaps one of you even pissed your pants a little, but a few months later that event made for a really great story and was kind of the time of your life?” That is the mark Jordan aims to hit time and time again. His paintings and lifestyle unapologetically yield this catastrophically vibrant effect that draws people to his work like hummingbirds to honeysuckle nectar. Jordan also makes flower paintings to make his mother happy. We love you, Michelle! —Brian Tarpey

Read this feature and more in the October 2106 issue of Juxtapoz magazine, available here.

Austin McManus: Last year was a momentous one in your life. An epic spill that left you temporarily crippled required you to figure out new techniques to make paintings. What were some of these methods and how has your perspective changed, reflecting on this time?
Jordan Bogash: I took quite the spill. I was all banged up in a wheelchair and had casts on both wrists. I couldn’t hold a paintbrush, so basically all I could do was squeeze using both my hands. My mom would put paint in empty ketchup bottles and roll me to a desk where I would squirt away. It was kinda crazy. My family was taking care of me while I was hurt and I was in their hallway, all crippled, painting flowers and a buff Rasta dude getting fellatio. I painted the flowers for my mom’s approval and the sex scene was for my amusement. Looking back, it sucked big time. I think in art, design or whatever, the most beautiful work comes out of limitations. I know it sounds cliché, but turning weaknesses into strengths is how I see it.

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Portrait by Austin McManus

Why don’t you show your work in galleries anymore, let alone care about an online presence?
That’s a loaded question. Regarding the online presence, I am paranoid about having information about me on the internet. I don’t like the idea that people can find me using Google search, though this interview is going to make me bite the bullet and get a site going. As for the gallery thing, I’m just not great at networking in the art world. I’m not sure how to word this, but when I was getting shows, I wasn’t trying. People would just ask me. For the longest time, though, I was making work just to make my friend Kurt Dalen laugh. We would get paintings from Goodwill and write HORSEPUSSY on them on send them to each other. We tried to make the most outrageous paintings, or whatever, and see who could outdo each other. Sadly, he passed away in a hit-and-run accident a couple years ago. That took a lot of joy out of creating for me. But I am slowly getting back into the swing of things. I was working at a fedora store, which was a nightmare. My best friend passed away and I needed some change in my life. I quit my job as a fedora dealer.

But you did have one solo show, your only, and it sold a lot of paintings, right?
Yeah, it happened in Culver City and it was great. I installed AstroTurf on the floor and the walls. My friend, Elliot Saarinen, helped with the install; power tools scare me. I thought no one would come but a lot of people showed up. It was the first and only time I actually sold anything through a gallery; I normally just give my paintings away or do commissions. Giving away art is easier for me then shopping for gifts. I would be so stoked if that ever happened again. My life is so strange, nothing surprises me anymore. Look at me, I’m in a magazine—hi, Mom!

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You produce all sorts of different zines and distribute them to friends, though they never turn into merchandise. What do you enjoy most about making zines?
The part I’m most interested in is combining analog and digital together, whether it’s drawing, typography, photo treatment, or collage, and then printing on different types of paper. Really, there are no fucking rules. I just love giving them to my friends because if they’re into it and appreciate it, what else can you ask for? I’m sick of people making art to become an Instagram artist. Get over yourself.

What’s the deal with the wresting zine you made? I really like the concept.
I was trying to date this girl, and she ghosted me, but it wasn’t a total loss. She had a full deck of wrestling cards from 1991 and let me borrow them before she was completely over me. I kept the deck of cards and always wanted to do something with them, so one day I bought a WWE wrestling game. One of my favorite parts of the game was creating a wrestler, so taking that, I made a create-your-own-wrestler survey, asking questions based on the visuals of the cards, such as body type, apparel, hair style and so on. I then made my own, illustrating the questions. After I got all the surveys back, I tallied all the answers, and the wrestler created was a red-headed, hairy, buff guy in a Speedo named Dirty Jam. He also had a cowboy hat. I made a larger-than-life painting of Dirty Jam. I mixed my own with the wrestling cards and put them in card sleeves, then photocopied the sleeves to produce the zine. The most exciting part to me was reading answers from the participants. Thinking about all these people visualizing a buff, ginger man in a Speedo—that’s their wrestling fantasy?

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Do you have an all-time favorite wrestler?
Easy question. It’s my man, Ric Flair, AKA The Nature Boy, The Real World's Champion, Slick Ric, The Greatest Wrestler Of All Time, and The Dirtiest Player in the Game.

You’ve been focusing more on design lately, making posters and creating work with various printed mediums. What’s been pulling you in that direction?
Design and painting are very similar in dealing with visual communication, so it wasn’t that big of a stretch. Now I’m currently back in school studying graphic design. I feel that if you’re a true artist, you can be successful in all creative platforms.

Tell us about your fascination with Taco Bell, and what does the latest scene report look like?
I have a love-hate relationship with my local TB. It’s so convenient. I will eat it every week for a month or two, then get disgusted and go cold turkey. Also, there’s a halfway house nearby. I drive by it every day, and pretty much at any given hour, there is a free freak show at TB. I’m not trying to sound inconsiderate of freaks. Everybody has issues, including me. But I started taking pictures of these bizarre incidents and posting them on Instagram and somehow the Taco Bell scene report happened. The latest and greatest report is that this elderly couple that wears pajama pants meets there every evening to make out. I can’t make this up. I don’t understand it. Me, personally, after I eat Taco Bell, I lock myself in my room in shame.

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How would you explain your painting style to someone you met at a party or standing in line at Taco Bell?
It’s kind of like eating a Dorito Taco. But really I am playing off how people navigate through the sociopolitical aspects of life, accepting information and culture through media that has a selfish agenda. I like to make imagery that is disruptive and forces people to question its existence, because I feel that our society is accepting bullshit with open arms.

Did you come from a creative family? What’s up with those hand-carved figures your grandpa made?
I would say somewhat. My dad was a door salesmen and his dad was a butcher. But my Mom oil paints and taught art at my elementary school. Grandpa, her dad, paints too. He makes these crazy wooden butlers, which are so cool. I have one I named Chint. It’s funny, he has all these hand-carved butlers throughout his house. I love it.

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Do you want to talk about the time you were wrongfully accused and sent to jail for a hate crime?
Yeah, that was brutal. I was just standing outside, and all of a sudden a cop came out of nowhere, put me in handcuffs and took me to jail for some undisclosed hate crime. I was in jail for a couple of weeks, really confused about why I was there. I befriended a Norteño on drug charges who was getting released soon. I wrote my dad’s phone number on his paperwork with toothpaste and asked him to call my dad. This guy was the nicest gang member! He called my dad, who luckily bailed me out. They eventually dismissed all charges because they realized I wasn’t even at the scene of the crime. Besides being in jail for an unknown crime, the hardest part was being accused of a hate crime. I’m a lover and the cops really dropped the ball on this one. Also, I’m Jewish, so if you know world history, it’s a given that I do not stand for that kind of behavior. The crazy thing is how broken our judicial system is. It’s really sad.

What other activities in life give you enjoyment when you have free time? I know trout fishing is one.
Your interview style is crazy; asking me about Taco Bell, then a dark time in my life, and back to trout fishing. That’s some mental warfare. But, yes, I love trout fishing. I have a great group of friends that I love to death, so any activity with them I’m into. This question reminds me of an online dating profile. It’s stressing me out. How about this? If I had a perfect day of planned activities, it would look like this: beach, taking my Subaru off some jumps, chicken wings and beer, fireworks, Jacuzzi, Laker game, Electric Wizard, book store, camping and women.

I like the story about the mayor of San Francisco’s reaction to your work. What exactly happened there?
That was the highlight of my art career. I was in the Zine Blasters show on Market Street. Everyone in that show was a deranged vandal from BKF. For some reason, the mayor at the time held a press conference in the gallery. Before the conference, he saw my painting, which was some dude with chainsaw hands cutting up a victim. I was watching a lot of horror movies at the time. Anyway, it disgusted him and they took it down. When the mayor gets a bad taste in his mouth from my art, that’s a win in my book.

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Originally published in the October 2016 issue of Juxtapoz Magazine, on newsstands worldwide and in our web store.