Interview with Pablo Gerardo Camacho, artist behind the Other Terrors cover
right beneath your skin
The sun goes down
I feel the light betray me
Papercut by Linkin Park
Remember how I was shook over the cover of Other Terrors? There was something about that cover, those eyes! It felt like I was at the right place at that the right time. I reached out to the artist, Pablo Gerardo Camacho, on Instagram and he was kind enough to grant me an interview talking about his inspirations, his affinity to “surreal edge popart” and getting in the zone with Linkin Park
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Can you introduce yourself and give us a brief description of your career in the field in art and illustration?
Hello! Since I was a child, I have been attracted to drawing and expression, also thanks to my father, an architect. I used to take advantage of the pencils and markers on the table to do my doodles. I studied graphic design in Caracas and learned basic concepts of composition and color, which helped me a lot to give order to my illustrations.
Are there specific artists, authors or experiences that have inspired your work?
Of course, I am a very visual person. All my life I have surrounded myself with many artistic references: family, friends, classmates. The ones that have had the most impact on my drawings are the films of Akira Kurosawa; the drama he generates with his compositions and use of color was something that blew my mind. I'm very inspired by what's “edgy” (not sure if that's the right term), like the legendary Junji Ito and H.R. Giger, and when I draw I can't help but listen to Linkin Park's Hybrid Theory album.
Currently, what inspires me the most are the illustrations of the artists I discover and follow on Instagram that never cease to amaze me and motivate me to keep drawing. I owe you the list, it's very long!
What themes or concepts do you find yourself exploring in your practice? I have noticed cigarettes, snakes, lips and eyes. Are there other details that I haven't taken into account?
The juxtaposition of elements, expressions, and emotions is something that appears often in my illustrations. I try to show more than one narrative reading in a static image; there can be two, three, or none. But what I do want to express is those cries for that calm that we constantly have and that are always stepping on our emotions; there is always something behind what is shown to the world.
What inspires you to create surreal horror art? This is how I perceive your work. How would you describe your style or genre of art in your own words?
It inspires me a lot to express what can be uncomfortable, that edge that we all have but that I feel some people don't manage to express out of fear or shame. You have to show the edge to be happy. I would like to call it something like “surreal edge pop art.”
Could you describe your creative process from the beginning of an idea to a finished piece? Is there a ritual or technique that you use to focus and get into “the zone”? Does it have anything to do with “drawings or death”?
Yes, so there's no ritual, but there are things I do before I draw and that's to fill myself with references, explore on Instagram the amazing work that artists from all over the world are doing. I start drawing lines while listening to everything from Rubén Blades to MF Doom. Already with the color, Linkin Park should start playing. Then I know I'm in the zone.
Your artwork evoked a strong emotional response in me when I saw it on the cover of Other Terrors. I was immediately attracted. How would you like your audience to feel when they interact with your art? What reactions have you observed?
Thank you very much for telling me that! It is just that, that the illustration generates curiosity, that it somehow triggers creativity and becomes a small space in time of edginess and momentary darkness.
Do you have a favorite piece among your works? If so, what makes it special to you?
The last black and white series I did in George A. Romero’s style. I really liked it because I went back to the color palette I used many years ago.
What was the process for your art to appear on the cover of Other Terrors? Is this work you do often? Are you on other covers?
The process I would call "being very lucky". Mainly, it's to stay actively drawing, draw a lot, be constant, and show yourself because you don't know what eyes are out there looking for a singularity. I've had the great luck of being invited by incredible editors and art directors to editorial projects: poetry magazines like the Tin House “POISON” Issue, also the mind-blowing Dark Star Trilogy by the fantastic Marlon James. I have been invited to be part of the dark genius of Mariana Enriquez, and also to give color to the iconic novel Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk.
When you're not creating art, how do you spend your time? Are you a book lover?
I love books! I'm not a constant reader and haven't made it a habit, but that being said, when I do get hooked, there's nothing that obsesses me more than finishing a good book.
The theme of the anthology revolves around the fear of the unknown (in this case “the Other”). Is this a theme you have explored in your work? If not, is it something you would like to explore and how?
Yes, it is a subject that attracts me a lot. When they contacted me to invite me to be part of the project and showed me the brief, I couldn't have been happier. I immediately connected with the concept and the darkness it required. I love all the projects I get involved in and this one has a very special place in me.
Are you currently working on something new? What can your audience expect in the future?
They can expect more edginess, more horror, more sensuality, more faces, lips, cigars, insects, snakes, juxtaposed sharp objects, and more color! I have a comics project (very different from my current work) that I've been developing for over a decade but haven't dared to show yet… Coming soon.
Is there something I forgot to ask you?
You've asked me all sorts of questions and I’ve loved it! Thank you so much for inviting me to this conversation that is so important to me; to sort out my thoughts, to remember where I came from, to appreciate what I've done, and to motivate me even more to go where I'm going. (:
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Pablo Gerardo Camacho is a Venezuelan illustrator and absolute sweetheart. Check out more of his art on Instagram.
This newsletter was originally conducted in Spanish and was edited and translated by Yadira Comulada. You can read the original interview in Spanish here and you can reach Yadira on LinkedIn.
This is such a sweet treat! I'm glad I got to learn more about his process, inspirations, and upcoming projects. I also wondered about his use of cigarettes, snakes, lips, and eyes and his response was even cooler than I could have imagined. "...there is always something behind what is shown to the world." Facts!