Roy Miranda Arts: ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

ROY MIRANDA

I was born Feb. 4th 1974 to a German/Polish mother and a Mexican father in Monterey California on the military base Fort Ord . . as the passing of my father which was related to the Vietnam War at the age of 3. . I became a product of the Nam War

this is a drawing my father did after Nam which started it all for me . .this drawing has been my guideline, my rock, my candle to my artistic ethics from the first time I saw it hidden away in my moms closet as a small child . . I hold this image dear to my soul and spirit. . the image of the rose represents beauty, the skull. . death,the dove. . freedom, the aces . . . luck ,and the cockroach . . not to sure. . but i feel like strength thru the ages of changing times. .well thats what i like to think

I was raised in the suburban deserts of North Phoenix landscaped by sun bleached housing developments ,heat cracked plazas, and half empty strip malls. . by faithful sweet catholic mother and pink floyd listening sister. . our household was very catholic up bringing . .this is me and my sister during late 70's. . she is 12 years older than me

8th grade in junior high. . family trip to northern California. . in Santa Cruz. .my awkwardness nerdy stage going into early skate punk kiddo stage. .mid 80's

During my teenage years I fell into the broken family format of skateboarding,
punk rock, hippie, hip hop, rave and party boy culture . . where I would try to embrace the visual expression of each broken counter culture that I would evolve in and out of. . while letting my artistic values takes its shape . . all the while living under the Arizona sun and air conditioned malls from the early 80's era . . this photo was from my high school skateboarder stage of my life. .my board I am riding on the grip tape i painted a book on fire and it says "learn to burn"

skatebording at one of our spots in North Phoenix . .the KFC parking lot . .early 90's

drawing class at Barry Goldwater High 1991. . early collage drawings

Barry Goldwater senior 3 man art show in the school library. . first show 1992

flyer i made for the senior art show . .I feel like this is the first real flyer i ever made

drawing in San Diego . . during my punky teen goth dance club stage. early 90's

during my rave/skater/hip hop phase early 90's

unfinished attempt at an urban mural . .under a freeway passing in north Phoenix mid 90's

this is when i attended Al Collins graphic design school(no longer around) this was my only formal schooling in design. . but it was basically a scam school i figured out and barely graduated . . this is me and a board graphic i did for Toy Machine . . Chad Muska's second board when he rode for Toy Machine

this is when i worked for Tower Records as a display artist in Tempe Arizona mid 90's. . reproducing Raph Steadman image for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas display

then i started working at Urban Outfitters as a display artist in Tempe Arizona. . me happily disassembling a display in the display room. . late 90's

then moved to Philadelphia in the early 2000's following my heart . .my first real winter on the east coast. .that was my girlfriends blue car i had to dig out at the time-Philly at the time had a great art scene and exposed me to a whole other world of think outside of the box artist. . scenes like space 1026 and black floor gallery . . i just tried to take it all in. .from the local music scene to the party scene. . to the art scene . .set in old world american city

This is the last night of my 20's the next day i turned 30. . captured by Sarah Stolfa for her book called THE REGULARS. . yes i was a regular at this historic dive bar in center city McGlinchey's which she was bar tending at and taking photos at that time. . early 2000's

Me and Dana Armstrong an artist/good friend in the show I co-curated - BROKEN WESTERN - Arizona based art show at the 222 gallery in Philadelphia in 2004

front of invitation for the show

back of flyer

got also invoiced with some experimental group shows at 222 gallery while living in Philadelphia

front of invitation

back of invitation

SEPARATION -skateboarding themed artshow

front of invitation

back of invitation

my boards for SEPARATIONS badly scanned from the catalog

also curated an art show at OBJEX artspace in Miami Florida during this time . . called FUSS FREE

front of the invitation

back of the invitation

blotted from east coast life . . and before the broken hearted set in. . with some small gouache painting I did. . Philadelphia early 2000's was a shit show in my life . . but also a huge learning experience on life and living in the light and not in the dark

one of those same gouache painting i did back then 2003

me and LEBO at an artshow we were in called LIFE SIZE curated by Francesco LoCastro in Culver City, California 2007 my work behind us

my artist bio at the time in the catalog for LIFE SIZED

wild years in South Philly. . early 2000's

during this times i was finding my path. . losing my path. . getting back to my desert land roots and collecting data of the times for my american melting pot of ideas and learning in my own way all the way . . South Philly early 2000's

with the passing of my good friend and roommate . . I moved to Brooklyn New York in 2008. .thats Trevor (RIP) n me in the picture above. . .we were both planning on moving to Brooklyn before he passed . . so i had to for the both of us. . I will never forget his spirit for life and living. . and his dreamy way of living it . .Trevor Forever

my first hide out room in east williamburg brooklyn. . thanks to my good friend that put me up and saved my spirit during those struggling time and refocused my path. . breath of fresh air for my soul at the time

got a job back at display arts for Urban Outfitters . .where i was exposed to a lot of trends in visual expressions and the recycling of past and present ideas. . which i embraced and utilized to this day in my arts and ideas

inside of a visual element I created . . Urban Outfitters Broadway store . .SoHo NYC

curated another FUSS FREE group art show back in Philly around this time. .all Philadelphia based artist show

front of the invitation

back of invitation

also got involved with some group shows at Fuse Gallery at this time like

DRAW

front of the DRAW show invitation

back of the invitation

then joined up with Spoke Visuals in 2013 with a band of ex Urban Outfitters brothers to create an independent display work shop. . me in the shop with my dust make on. . living the life workshop by day and bars by night . . burning the candle at both ends

sunset watching with a mini keg out back of Spoke Studio probly after a long day . . view of Manhattan from Greenpoint side

music venue back ground I did for Grand Street Bakery 2012-at this time i am in the new york groove . . and trying to keep my personal arts alive. .Grand st bakery was big hang out spot for me . . a good friend of mine owned it and he ran it with is wife. . it was a hub for many good folks at that time

working on a tour background for the Wild Yak's rust belt tour -i was the merch monkey for that tour . . wild yaks kept my art alive in brooklyn . . as my art keep me sane in those wild years . . so thankful for all the times i had shared with the wild yaks

installing my work at an art show (black and white) in Bushwick Brooklyn- at this point the spirithole has been evolving and taking a present in my art expression

art showing I did in the summer of 2013 before hitting my snow bird routine for the winter

back to Northern California to work on a farm and create a body of work and to refocus on life and to refine my life living line on the mountain side of Ukiah California

worked on a roof top mural in Hollywood after i got off the mountain on my way to Arizona for the winter

while in arizona had the chance to create a print which i had a show for when I returned to Brooklyn

studio shot took by a photographer friend . . Brooklyn New York

while back in Brooklyn I did a little acting in a video for LAS ROSAS . .click the link below to watch it . . enjoy
https://vimeo.com/101267614

had another show in Brooklyn before I when back you to the mountains of Northern California

my first mountain studio-finding my voice thru my art . . listening and learning off the nature. . comparing the east coast grind to living of the grid. .its good to get off your ship and jump in the ocean and let nature take over

mountain sunset and the back of the yurt where we lived at. .thats the back door which you can see my art studio light up. . i spent alot of time refining my art movement . . relating all my travels and experience to a visual formate

the yurt mountain studio

invites to my show in Brooklyn New York. . and returned back to Brooklyn to live. . living thru all from the traveling to the mountain stillness . .i try to hold that all as i take in the Brooklyn living . .during this time i was living of hopes and positive production

and a part time job as a dog walker on the upper westside . . summer 2015. . Manhatten New York. .

i can feel the east coast not making sense for me not to dwell in brooklyn. . this is the time period when the feeling of brooklyn has changed. . the new young phone starer are moving in. . changing the feel which first attracted me to the city . . too many new bars too many new restaurant . .all that i cant afford . .and all with no soul. . the community has sold it spirit in my eyes

that following fall i retreat back to the mountain and back to the low deserts if Arizona

created a body of work in my snow bird travels and had an art show in Phoenix Arizona-Sunset Rambler

display window i did for the show at Retro Ranch

returned to Brooklyn for the summer of 2016 this would be my last summer in New York. .

this is me in the magical Rockaways

before leaving had a two man art show with Hector Serna in Brooklyn September 2016

my traveling side kick i would live out if this for months on end . .and i would mostly travel by amtrak or the greyhound bus. .time to think and watch the landscape go by. . when i had the time

back in farm for fall to work and to recharge the spirit

and back to Phoenix for winter . .

part of a print show at Sky Harbor Airport- Phoenix Arizona

New Years Eve 2017 while in Phoenix i meet the love of my life . .and moved back to Phoenix for the love

on Feb.3 2018 we got married . . my love for her is bigger than me and its so dear to my entire being . .i hold it very close and i will never let it go. .and i will never let go that day we got married