The Familiar Strangers

Jimi Benedict (Jimiyo) is an illustrator based in Utah. He has attracted numerous attentions in his work because of his clean and detailed style illustrations and tee designs. In this interview, Jimi explains why he may position himself out of the t-shirt market.

TFS: The Familiar Strangers
J: Jimiyo

TFS: Congrats on your “Fight the Good Fight” that came in 4th in the Design By Humans 10K contest. Did you expect the design to do better?

J: I had hoped it would do better because I really wanted $10,000 and a new pair of LA Gear high tops, but I anticipated that it wouldn’t because the rules specifically stated it would be based on votes. Historically, CollisionTheory and Mathiole have been the largest vote garnering artists, so I had assumed one of them would win. BRC being a collective was also assumed to place higher.

TFS: How do you feel about the other 9 designs that were in the top 10? Do you think they were all deserved to be in it?

J: They were all pretty tight and there were others that didn’t reach the top ten that were just as off the hookah!

As far as the question of deserving, I feel the topic is moot. Provided there is enough traffic, and the art is beyond an amateur level of skill and has some uniqueness, a company can sell almost any piece of art if they tap the right market and reach enough eyeballs. DBH’s purpose for the contest I assume was to stockpile some killer designs and increase name recognition and traffic. I would guess Mission accomplished!

Fight The Good Fight - 4th Place finish for DBH's 10K Contest

TFS: The “When Pandas Attack” collab with AJ from Collision-Theory got you a first threadless print. How was the process like working with someone whose styles completely different from yours?

J: LOL. The process was pretty simple. I sent him a three color Panda graphic, and he added his magic. He will be replacing Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter 8.

TFS: You have some incredible designs over at Threadless that were not printed. Why do you think they were not chosen for print yet?

J: I appreciate the praise, but in hindsight, the pieces submitted to Threadless are not my best works. I would say some are crappy. The ones that deserved to be printed have already been removed and sold elsewhere. There are a couple that are decent (Schweet kid’s shirt, Rebellious Rats), but since they geared towards a specific demographic, the likelihood of a contest site picking it up is less likely since the sales would not reach as far as an unisex design.

I would like to get printed at Threadless individually, but I am afraid my style doesn’t go over well there. Too arty farty, not enough concept.

When Pandas Attack by Jimiyo & AJ Dimarucot

TFS: What difference do you see from the general voting crowds over at Threadless and DBH?

J: Are we talking about genre preferences?

Threadless voters love simple, clever or punny.

DBH voters love artsy, and seem to value higher end illustration skills more than Threadless.

TFS: Most of your works, you seem to keep a pretty saturated and traditional color palette. Do you ever feel to urge to put in some funky bright neon colors to please the crowd and the current trend?

J: I usually create works based on what I like to see or make. I already have to be subordinate to art direction when I work with a client, and I hate it, so when it comes to pleasing the crowd, possibly winning isn’t enough to motivate me to go with the trends. Contests are an outlet where I can do what I want, and winning is just cherry on top.

TFS: Is there anything you don’t like about the current tee design trend?

J: Like the Presidential race, I’ve stopped paying attention to the trends to prevent myself from having a fruitless opinion. When I did pay attention, I became annoyed at tired concepts that had been done over and over. Wait, here’s one: C-Mothereffing-Y-K shirts.

TFS: In the Emptees forum, this comment really caught my attention

“jimiyo you are a talented man and i mean that sincerely but your heart is in the wrong place. designbyhumans is like the easy target for people looking to make money in a smaller arena than threadless. all of these images, i feel, show tons of hindered potential. don’t think in terms of tshirts dude. just draw because it’s in you. there are great compositions here, great linework, great balances between light and dark, but they’re photoshopped onto models dude. i mean come on. this new almost baroque phase of tshirt designing has always spoken to me of envy and spite and lowest common denominators. snap out of it.”

What do you have to say to that and do you think that comment is justified?

J: I was perturbed when I first read this a while back, but who knows the heart of a man but the man himself, and even then, what man knows exactly what is in his heart?

I’ve tried to dissect the comment. It seems the commenter has no issue with my work, just an issue with art in conjunction with t-shirts, as it is what he calls “lowest common denominator.”

Lowest common denominator is defined as something of small intellectual content designed to appeal to a lowbrow audience. Lowbrow defined as lacking taste.

This topic then can spiral into an endless discussion about what is art, what is lowbrow, etc.

I think the only thing that matters is that I am happy, and I am creating works that I prefer.

Truthfully, the main reason I pursue contests is that they allow me to do whatever I desire. When I work with a client, I receive a topic, and art direction.

Contests are a great way to make income while still creating your own vision. Contests help spur the branding of my (your) name as an artist as well as your style.

Frankly, the comment originated from an online artist community, where most of the members are much more skilled than I in art.

I think it irritates some of the veterans that even though they have more skill than I, I have been able to find a source of income and exposure beyond what they are able to capture.

At the beginning of the year, I posted a thread trying to share and brainstorm ideas on how to make money with art, and they burned me in that thread as well. I think it irritates them that I did exactly what I set out to do. Apparently being forthright about creating commerce with one’s art automatically lends to the sense that the artist is greedy, selling out, or debasing themselves.

I don’t feel as if I am greedy except about being zealous in the pursuit for artistic freedom, and financial sustainability from my art. That doesn’t mean that I debase myself or my abilities. Moreover I think it proclaims loudly that I believe in what I do as being worthy to be noticed and substantiated financially.

Artists are competitive, petty, jealous bitches. I know, I am one, but I value effort and dedication as they are the parents of skill and success. I would not knock another artist even if they sucked if I saw that they worked hard because eventually they won’t. I was surprised at their reactions, because it seems like they were justifying pissing on my dreams.

I hope this is not a haughty thought, but often times, when we see someone else strive for a dream, we see the obstacles on why they won’t succeed because we don’t have the balls to go after it ourselves. It justifies our lack of participation or self motivation if we keep others from succeeding.

I do however wish at times I could explore another market and medium. Yes, t-shirts do “hinder” some expression. There is only so much that can be expressed with limited colors and the market content of t-shirts.

Thus in 2009, I may seek to transition into another market.

TFS: By the way, you were born in Japan. That’s pretty awesome, eh?

J: Yes. Although I only spent the first 5 childhood years of my life there, I feel that being from that background as well as being half Japanese, half Caucasian has given me a broader view of the world, and understanding. Sometimes I feel I got the best characteristics of both worlds.

Thanks for the opportunity to be interviewed. ;j