Amir H. Fallah | The Ultimate Mom Painting (detail) | Acrylic, watercolor, ink, collage, pencil on paper mounted to canvas | 2009

Amir H. Fallah, Los Angeles-based artist and founder/publisher of Beautiful Decay Magazine is back again. He was kind enough to share his time and thoughts with me for a brief interview (what a deal). If you didn't already, check out the profile I recently did on his work.

Nitin Mukul: What element of popular culture would you consider the most powerful influence on your work?
Amir H. Fallah: Hmm, that's a hard question to answer. It's not necessarily one element. I'm more influenced by a period of time. My teenage years were highly influential for me. This period in my life was full of discovery. Whether it was going to punk and hardcore shows in DC, skateboarding, falling in love or making 'zines to kill time in the suburbs, I often go back and reference that period in my life within my work.

NM: Does music connect to your work or work process in any way? Have you collaborated with musicians in the past?
AH: Music creeps into my work in various ways. A very direct example is a painting I made last year called "The Saddest, Saddest, Saddest Love Song Ever" that featured images of all my favorite sappy musicians that I listened to when I was a teenager. Morrissey, Elliott Smith, Robert Smith and Daniel Johnston all make appearances in the piece. Other times I get influenced indirectly by just having music playing in the studio.

I've never collaborated with musicians but I actually have a few projects that I'd be interested in seeing through that would have a musical component.

NM: How, if ever, has the environment or location where you were working seeped into you work?
AH: When I do an installation the location is very important as I build everything site specific. Most of the materials come from that location.

For paintings the location usually plays less of a role. However, with my current show at Baer Ridgway that has changed. All the work in Space Case revolves around ideas of new age mysticism, drug culture and psychedelic flora. Obviously these are things that are engrained in San Francisco’s culture. I'd been dealing with some of the visuals from drug/psychedelic culture for a while, but I think the theme really came together for this show.

NM: Have digital tools become important or connected to any part of your work process? If so, what part?
AH: I love and embrace technology so I'm constantly using computers and any other tools at my disposal. I find all the images in my paintings online and play with the colors in Photoshop. I also print my collage images using high-end, archival printers. I don't get it when artists resist technology. It's so ridiculous not to use a computer. You might as well not use fire to make your meals or cars to get from place to place.

NM: If you had a bit of advice for emerging visual artists today, what would it be?
AH: I think persistence and stubbornness go a long way. Don't listen to anyone. If you want to be an artist go for it. Work hard, make lots of things and create a community and support system with your friends.

Also, when you make it big help out other artists. Not enough established artists do this. Once they become successful they forget their friends and don't want to take part in helping the next generation.