35. David Josef Tamargo

In honor of our MasterMind genius awards, Cultist proudly presents "100 Creatives," where we feature Miami's cultural superheroes in random order. Have suggestions for future profiles? Email [email protected] with the whos and whys.35. David Josef Tamargo
If you are into Miami's art scene, you would be hard pressed to not have seen, experienced, or been influenced by David Josef Tamargo's work. The artist feels that he was "born with the debilitating urge to create." His impact on the Miami and international art world has already been monumental, and he is just getting started.

Tamargo wears many hats (and a few masks). He is a photographer, performance artist,

director, lecturer, curator, event director and so much more. His photos

vary in subjects from landscapes reflecting his own personal journey to

his Urban Hunting series, which follows animals depicted on roadside

murals.

In his work with Otto Von Schirach, he appears as Alligator Jesus, using

a mask and warrior-like sounds to create an interactive, outer

dimension experience at every show. He is a founding member of the

Borscht Film Festival and the CCCV movement. As art director at the

World Erotic Art Museum, he promotes the appreciation of erotic art

within South Florida and beyond. He's also had shout-outs to him on Insane Clown Posse tracks. With

all of his responsibilities and projects, he says the secret to keeping

on track is: Matteo Ricci's "Memory Palace" technique and lots of Cuban

coffee.

1.    List five things that inspire you.

-Earth

-Godzilla,

-Miami

-My Friends

-The number 8

2.    What was your last big project?

I curated MIA | MI CIELO during Art Basel Miami Beach. It combined the

efforts of myself (The CCCV), Inez Suen (My Private Art Club), and

Culture Shock Marketing. We transformed the fourth floor of the Cielo on

the Bay luxury condominium on North Bay Harbor into an oasis from the

madness of Wynwood, Design District, and Miami Beach. We brought together

some of the best names of the emerging Miami and New York art scene -- artists like Gregory de la Haba, Chin Chih Yang, Karelle Levy, Kiki

Valdez, Lindsay Scoggins, Caroline Geys, Adler A.F., and Valentine

Mellstrom.  In total, we had artists from five continents and even Miami's

Butter Gallery in the mix.

3. What's your next big project?

I'm planning an Urban Hunting expedition to Shanghai China for summer 2011.

I'm working with Inez Suen and the International Chinese Fine Arts

Council to bring American artists to Shanghai for an extended period of

time out there to hunt dragons and the Chinese zodiac among other

creatures.

4.    Why do you do what you do?

I'm all about making Miami a more vibrant place to work and play. I want

to be a proponent of the CCCV movement alongside my friends and achieve

greater recognition in the International Art World. I hope by doing so

my art inspires younger generations of artists to have even better,

farther-reaching, creative voices.

5. What's something you want Miami to know about you?

I often wake up at odd hours of the night as if channeling some

supernatural energy and before I know it, I'm on the lonely stretch of

road on the outskirts of Miami filming my new movie for the upcoming

Borscht Film Festival or hanging 15 feet in the air off the neck of a

Giant Ground Sloth statue for an Urban Hunt. I don't fit in any mold

that has been presented to me, but I am still very young and sure I will

find one.

What's something you don't want Miami to know about you?

As a teenager, I would organize the Juggalo gatherings in the state of

Florida for Insane Clown Posse. I took gigs photographing their events

out of state. I have the weird honor to say Insane Clown Posse has

showed up my parties, had me on stage during shows, and shouted me out in

a couple albums. Even after many years out of the scene, I am still part

of this crazy networked of friends and consider myself a Juggalo.

--Joy Taylor
 

The Creatives so far:

36. Jillian Mayer
37. Alfonso Vega
38. Natasha Lopez de Victoria
39. Aholsniffsglue

40. Heather Maloney
41. Jorge Rubiera
42. Elaine Lancaster
43. Nick Duckart
44. Danielle Estefan
45. John Dufresne
46. Monica Lopez de Victoria
47. Bill Bilowit
48. Alette Simmons-Jimenez
49. Tawnie Silva
50. Ginger Bardot
51. Jonathan David Kane
52. Naomi Fisher
53. Rocky Grimes
54. Teresa Barcelo
55. Paul Tei
56. Lee Materazzi