Meet David Pilgrim of LOWBROW Pilgrim Studios

Today we’d like to introduce you to David Pilgrim.

David, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have always been drawn to art, I grew up in a blue-collar family. No one else in my family is artistic, that I have ever known of. So, I can’t tell you where the influence derived from.

I would often find myself failing my classes all through my school years because I was drawing when I should have been doing my schoolwork.

As a kid in the 70s, I was into hot rods, monsters, car shows, motorcycle shows, etc. The wild 70’s when Lowbrow art was still just becoming a thing. There were a lot of people doing it, but they were considered the dregs of polite society, People like Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, with his wild cars and monster finks, most notably known for the creation of RAT FINK, was a major influence at the time. Von Dutch, with his new school style of pinstriping and lettering, always fascinated me as well. Comic books like CARtoons, made me think that everything could be made better with some overpowered accouterments.

As my teen years crept up on me, I discovered the art of Robert Crumb, Coop, Robert Williams, and Frazetta. The way these guys illustrated women, and everyday life, began to alter the way I felt about figure drawing. Strong, powerful, heroines, hyper-sexualized, devil girls, and warrior women, cemented an image in my imagination of how women were to be represented in my work, always the power figure, always alluring, well, endowed, THICK, Rubenesque, etc…

Once out of high school, I started experimenting with Assemblage. I basically had no money, so everything I was making was literally made from found objects, Bottle, Barbie dolls, old computer parts, bike parts, wood from broken pallets, etc… were the norm for the work I was making, it didn’t matter anyway, because no one ever saw any of the work I did. I guess it was just a good training period for me, trying out new mediums, and techniques. I had no idea at the time that assemblage was actually what I was creating. I was just trying to make what looked cool.

My art was beginning to develop a signature style. Not intentionally, mind you, yet it was there none the less.
As years went by, I found myself showing in some local shows, most of them were not so well known artists, like myself. We would be invited to participate in group shows, and lasting bonds were formed. More and more shows came my way, and my art and ability were growing and becoming something more than just a hobby.
Since then, I’ve opened my own art studio, and show as much as possible. I feel very proud to say that art has been my constant companion my entire life. And I hope that I will be able to create until the day I die.

Has it been a smooth road?
Since I’m self-taught, there have been several galleries and art show curators that wouldn’t deal with me. They were more concerned about the scholastic road that the artists took to get where they are at, rather than the art itself. It’s understandable, still frustrating though. You can get a degree, but you can’t buy talent.

Also, because of the nature of my work, which would be considered erotic or also macabre, and most definitely LOWBROW, it doesn’t speak to a great majority of society. We as a country, are still very conservative even in the art realms.

To each their own, I guess. My audience and I eventually found each other though.

I do okay.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the LOWBROW Pilgrim Studios story. What else should we know?
I believe that I gained the most notoriety because of my assemblage work. I have always made assemblage sculptures, but it wasn’t until I discovered Kris Kuksi, that I realized that assemblage could be and say so much more than it was already said at the time. with that being said, I began to use his inspiration to make my assemblage convey a broader message.

As a person that spent my youth in and around the Hispanic population in mostly southeast Houston, I feel that the amazing heritage and culture of the Hispanic, Chicano, and Mexican culture, have instilled upon my work a strong Latino-based vibe. Especially, in today’s tumultuous political climate, its more important than ever to represent for our neighbors, both across the street and across the border. When I create pieces that help inform and educate about historical, and cultural diversity, I feel that I am helping out, in whatever small way, to spread the word about respecting each others heritage. Rather it is showing the positive side of the low rider movement, the pride and hard work of the blue collar workers or the struggle and plight if the immigrant living and working n America. We need more respect and understanding, and less finger pointing, blame, and disrespect from ALL sides. It is my hope, that my art inspires everyone to partake in some of these values.

Going into my erotica based work, I portray women as strong, powerful, alluring beings, most of the female nudes or sculptures often give a glimpse of women with figures that society may deem as less than perfect, with large hips, plump bellies, cellulite, etc… again, I wish to inspire people viewing my work to lose their hang-ups about what is beautiful and what isn’t. Beauty is inside every one of us. no matter how we look. And what is ugly to some, is the most beautiful thing to others.

I can see a change on the horizon or people coming into their own self-love and appreciation. No one should feel like they are less of a person because they come from somewhere else or their skin is too dark or light or they don’t look like a Barbie or Ken doll. This is the goal of my art and business. If I can make a few people smile or dig something and think its cool, that’s also a win for me.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
As an artist, I see many new opportunities on the horizon all the time.

Artists are constantly re-inventing the wheel when it comes to business. rather it is digital media, online art shows, virtual commerce, etc… the art industry will find a way to stay relevant and at the forefront of business.

In Houston, if you are lucky enough to live here, we have embraced so many new genres which were formally viewed as undesirable. Take Graffiti, for instance, just last month, the Hardy and Nance Gallery, hosted a show involving and dedicated to street art in and around our bustling city. Art that used to get you thrown in jail if you were caught doing it, has now become very popular with the masses. Take a drive around Houston and you will see not only graffiti but amazing street art. Take our light boxes for instance (the big tan or grey boxes that house the electronics that control the traffic lights), you will see beautiful art adorning them all over the city. And these are some of Houston’s most influential artists putting their work out there.

Over the next five-ten years, I can see Houston pulling in many high ticket artists from around the nation and world, as more and more studio space opens up all over the city. I see Houston as being one of the top five cities as a “go to” for artistic discovery and exploration. It’s a great place to live, work and visit.

Contact Info:

• Email: dvdplgrm@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lowbrow_pilgrim/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lowbrowpilgrim

Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.