6. John CatesSacrifece John Cate
Sacrifice
2014
College
$75

Who are you and what do you do?
My name is John Cates, Currently I go to school for photography and work as a cook to pay the bills.

When did you first start making art?
I began making art when I was a kid, I didn’t start taking it seriously until l was in high school. I was playing in bands and used going to art class as an excuse to get out of my regular classes.
When you think of the word riot what comes to mind? When I think of Riot, I think of a society breaking down to its most basic elements. Those who will not take oppression anymore and will do anything and everything in their power to bring about change. This is not to be confused with the political idea of anarchy.

What drew inspiration for the artwork for this show?
I’ve always been a fan of science fiction and stories that take place in dystopian futures. So when I thought about how to approach the work for this show I was thinking about what would happen after a riot and total breakdown of society, when the world is nothing but a total wasteland from human destruction. However, instead of a traditional wasteland warrior, like a character you would see from Mad Max. I started thinking about different gangs across the wasteland and what they might look like, or how they might act, while also keeping themes like greed and vanity in mind. I came across the image of the three men unloading a box from a truck that said “Human Blood” on the side of it in a National Geographic. Once I saw that, I got the idea of this gang of wastelanders who would make human sacrifices for their material possessions.

What are some artists or musicians that you admire?
One of my all time favorite photographers is William Eggleston. As far as Music goes, there is a lot, I know that’s a cop-out. However, the G.L.O.S.S. demo that dropped earlier this year is something that has been on heavy rotation for me.