Nestor Jimenez is a graphic designer and painter who has turned his art skills into a profession. His business, Retrofutura, has taken his designs and placed them all over tee shirts, tank tops, and hoodies. The designs are modern, and speak to his great love and respect of street art.
Having been born in the United States, he was raised in Caracas, Venezuela. Life in Salt Lake City as an adult has definitely been a different place. Still, he made a place for himself, and a name, as well. "I like the mountains, I like the easy pace," he tells us. It doesn't hurt that he has found an arts community in the Utah Arts Alliance, stating, "With spaces like this, the Utah Arts Alliance, other artists can show their art."
He's a quiet man, but one can tell that there's a kernel of ambition in his gut, pushing him forward. He has big plans, for himself, for others, and for Retrofutura. His work is a passion, and his talent is obvious. Keep your eyes peeled, you may just find yourself wearing designs by none other than Nestor Jimenez.
The Interview:
Mandy: So, what kind of artist are you?
Nestor: I'm a graphic artist.
Mandy: Did you go to school for that?
Nestor: Yes, I went to school for that. I went to school in Caracas, Venezuela. I went to the university there, and I got my degree from it. The name of the school is Monseñor de Talavera. Then I came here to the states, and I took some classes from the Salt Lake Community College, but just to refresh.
Mandy: When did you first become interested in art?
Nestor: I was nine years old when I first got the feeling that I wanted to do art, because I was jealous. This boy in my class was drawing, and he always got the attention, so I decided I wanted to be like him. So, I started drawing because of him.
Mandy: Did you have any particular inspirations, art wise, growing up?
Nestor: I like art in general. I don't think there is bad art. If you can see the energy of the artist on the canvas, that is good art to me. So I don't have a specific person that I like, I just like art.
Mandy: How about your family? Were they supportive of you?
Nestor: Yes, especially my dad. He is an artist at heart, but his dad never liked what he painted or drew, and so he went to school for something totally different. So when I said to him, "I want to be a graphic designer," he was very supportive. He wanted to give me the chance that his dad never gave him. He was so supportive. All my family was, but really him.
Mandy: Tell us more about Retrofutura.
Nestor: I started Retrofutura in 2007, more as a hobby. Little by little, the brand started to kind of evolve and shape. We started working with different people, and people started liking the brand, but it was kind of an accident. I was working other kinds of jobs that weren't very fulfilling for me, as an artist, so I did that as an excuse. I created Retrofutura as an excuse to work with printing and drawing. But little by little, people really started liking it. Now we have a brand, and we're starting to sell the brand. It was a beautiful accident that happened to me.
Mandy: When did you decide to start your own business?
Nestor: When you are an artist, you need to do it, just because. Like most people, I guess, I was raised to be an employee, to work a job with another company. But when you start seeing other people that took the risk of having their own company and being successful, by themselves, that really attracted me. So, I decided that I wanted to have a business around 2006, after I got tired of the bullshit of other companies.
I hope one day Retrofutura can support me. Right now, we're still growing, but that's my goal.
Mandy: What's your ultimate goal with Retro?
Nestor: To be an international brand, definitely. But really, to keep helping people. We like to sponsor people like fighters, artists, musicians, that are in the same situation that we are, and starting from scratch. We are not looking to sponsor big names, we want to sponsor the little guy, because we identify with the little guy. We are in that situation now, and we are trying to grow. I think if we can help you with your project and personal goals, we will try to do it.
Mandy: You've told me that one of your main goals as an artist is to leave something behind after you die.
Nestor: Well, yes, I think, with my experiences and with the people I know, people who work for companies for thirty or forty years, and then they retire, then there is nothing to leave behind unless you leave a house or a car or something. So I have this obsession that when I die, I want you to remember me. That's one of the main reasons I paint, because I know that after I'm gone, my paintings will still be here. It's a beautiful thought that you can be gone, and people will be talking about you. That's one of the reasons that I don't sell my paintings. I just give them away to people I know will take care of them.
Mandy: So you're a painter?
Nestor: No, I want to be a painter, I'm not a professional.
Kita: But you do paint?
Nestor: Yes, but I don't have a style, I just paint when I want to. It can be every six months or even a whole year between paintings, so it just happens when it happens. But I do appreciate art. Every kind of art. I like to go see paintings around the Salt Lake Valley.
Mandy: What is it that usually inspires you?
Nestor: It depends. One thing I like to paint is women's faces. I don't know, but I think women inspire me.
Mandy: What do you think of the artistic climate here in Salt Lake?
Nestor: It's evolving, and getting better and better. When I first got here, I noticed the artistic movement here in Salt Lake was really small. But with spaces like this, the Utah Arts Alliance, I think it helps other artists show their art. I think it's growing. I think the location of the city is excellent, and I think there will be more people showing their work in the future. People from the city, from around the city, and from outside the state. There is no stopping the art movement. Especially the street art. I love it, the graffiti.
Mandy: Would you ever try it?
Nestor: Sure, why not? You have to try everything once.
Kita: What would you say your biggest struggle with art or your business is?
Nestor: I think meeting people, and my English. I would like to communicate in a better way. That would be my biggest struggle because if you like my art, or you don't like my art, I don't really care. I just do it for me. So I'm not struggling as an artist.
Kita: On that note, do you have an easy time finding harmony between the art and business sides?
Nestor: It gets hard sometimes. The business part takes a lot of my time, and sometimes I don't have time to make art. It's definitely hard.
Kita: If you weren't doing this, would you still be doing art?
Nestor: Oh yes. If I was a dishwasher, I'd be doing art. If I was a lawyer, I'd be doing art. I have to have art, because it is like a medicine or therapy for me. It helps me with everything, the stress of work, traffic, normal life. I will be doing art until I'm dead.
Kita: From where you first started, do you think you've gone in the direction you were hoping to?
Nestor: Not really. When I first started and was looking for the art scene, I really wanted to be a painter. It got to a point where I was like, "I want to do this, but I want to make money, too," and as a painter, the money wasn't coming. So that's why I started using more of the graphic design side. And then Retrofutura happened. I never thought I would be doing clothing. So it definitely took a different turn.
Kita: So do you like to collaborate, or mostly do your own thing?
Nestor: I would like to collaborate more, but this is mostly me, right now. These are my designs, and my ideas. Sometimes I ask for advice, but I guess at the end, I decide what I want to put out there.
Mandy: Where do you get your ideas for these designs?
Nestor: I don't have a specific place or thing that I use to get inspired. I just do things that look good to me. I had an issue in school. There were too many rules to graphic design and art, so from the time I graduated to this point, I decided to just do things that I like, and that look good to me. If it looks good to me, I want to put it out there, and if people like it, then good. But inspiration is just feeling good. If it feels good, then do it.
Mandy: So are you big on fashion?
Nestor: Oh no, I am not a fashion designer. I'm open, but I don't consider myself a fashion designer. I never went to school for it.
Kita: On a more technical note, what do you have to do to make a shirt?
Nestor: Well, first, you start with an idea. Then you start drawing. After you draw it, you take it to the computer and create the graphic. When you create the graphic, you start working with digital samples to see how the graphic is going to look on top of different tee shirts and designs. When we have an idea of what we want, we start going through a catalog of different tee shirts, and after that, we start going through the process of screen printing from scratch. We make our own screens, we burn our own screens, we print our samples and tee shirts, we sew our tags here. So we do everything. And sometimes we take the pictures of the models too.
Mandy: What's your favorite thing about owning a business?
Nestor: It's the freedom of doing what you want, and taking a risk. When you have an idea and you put it to work, and you see can the fruits of your work, that's something that, to me, doesn't have a price. To do what you want, and take it in the direction you want to go in.
Mandy: If you couldn't do this, what would you do?
Nestor: I don't know, because I am doing this now. If I didn't have this and the paintings, I think I would be really sad. I can't really picture myself without the business, though. It's so hard to visualize my life without the company right now.
Nestor: I would say just normal people, maybe between nineteen and thirty. People who have goals, and are working hard towards those goals. It doesn't matter what kind of goal, as long as it's a goal that will fulfill their lives. It's an urban, every day clothing line. We're not trying to be high end. This is something you would use in your every day.
Mandy: So what are you working on now?
Nestor: We want to start working more on sponsoring MMA fighters, and being involved in those fights. Maybe having booths at festivals and events here around the area. The twenty-first of this month, we will be having an open house here so people can come here and see what we do, and how we do it.
The Open House at the Utah Arts Alliance will be Saturday, September 21st at 663 W 100 S in Salt Lake City. Don't miss this opportunity to see not only how Nestor works, but many other talented artists as well!
To see more of Nestors' work with Retrofutura, go to www.facebook.com/retrofutura.
Have anyone you'd like us to chat with? Suggestions are taken in the comments below!
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