SAM MAZZARINO

Visual Arts Department

REENO: ESCHER SUPERSIZED

Wearable

2020

Blank 15XL T-shirt, Screen Printing Ink

37" x 58"

This piece is a symbol of my brand. It’s a clothing brand (hence the T-shirt) but one with a large focus on art. Where many other brands use google images, stock photos, or commission designs, I tend to make all the artwork myself. Every single design, drawing, and symbol on this tee has been meticulously thought about and carried out. The designs were burned onto 2 screens that are big enough to cover the front and back of a normal-sized T-shirt - as that’s how they first appeared in my brand’s 3rd ever drop. I believe that was the most important shirt I’ve ever made because it was kind of my magnum opus. Meaning that that shirt showed what I was capable of. Originally it was printed on shirts size small-2xl (the standard for clothing drops), but I decided that for my senior piece, it should be 15xl, to represent the massive impact it’s had on my brand. Even as a size small shirt, the design was something a viewer could get lost in. With this piece, I wanted to exaggerate that, to the point where this shirt is its own entire universe, with its own characters, scenery, symbols, and ethos. Its own set of rules. I hand screen printed the designs onto the piece, just as I did with my original release, as an intentional callback to the roots of my brand - when all my local printers rejected to print it because the design was too large to fit their presses, so I had to do it by hand. The designs feature my logo, planets, references to health, fitness, spirituality, discipline, mindset/mentality, mental health, and of course the computer to represent the dawn of the digital age which has allowed my brand to live and thrive.

Dear Class of 2020 ...

It's been real.

All I gotta say is Y'all have inspired me.

Shout out all my artistic brothers and sisters. You know who you are. I believe in all of you. Your talent is incredible and you all can change the whole world with your art.

That time Playboi Carti commissioned a portrait

That time Travis Scott reposted my drawing

That time I collaborated with Billie Eilish on merch

Freshman me

DEAR CLASS OF 2021

Congratulations! You’ve made it to the last year of high school. You should be proud. Not everyone has an equal opportunity to do so, so appreciate it!

I think this year is a lottt easier and less stressful than Junior year.

THINGS TO KNOW:
If applying to art school, start building your portfolio ASAP, and make it diverse.
Start applying early, and make a spreadsheet with all your colleges. It should include application deadlines, requirements, price, major, and whatever else you want.
If you can, apply early decision. I was fortunate enough to get into my early decision school, and pretty much breezed through the second half of the year stress-free as a result.
Make that common app essay the best thing you’ve ever done. A creative, well-made, and hopefully mind-blowing common app essay can dramatically increase a school’s interest in you, which means you’re more likely to get in, and bigger scholarships. I went through about 7 painstaking drafts, but it paid off. The essay came out amazing. I got a full ride to my dream school (RISD), and I believe this essay really set me apart from other candidates
Having a horrible sleep schedule isn’t a personality trait. It doesn’t make you cool or quirky, just avoid it if you can.
STAY AWAY FROM DRAMA AT ALL COSTS!

Other than that, just be smart, hang around the right people (they should inspire you to be better, not make fun of you when you try to grow), and work on yourself.

I really believe you should fully know and love yourself this year, before you go off to college where you will be spending much more time alone. So if you don’t, work on that. Read self-help books, watch self-help YouTubers, look into spirituality, meditation, nutrition, exercise, and whatever else you think will help.

Oh, and lastly, as a secondary priority to school, try to make some money with your art! Social media and Google are your best friends, and with just those, you can make tens of thousands of $ with your art :)

All love, good luck, wish you the best,

Sam Mazzarino

Page updated

Report abuse