Exclusive Interview: Jimmy Chiale

I remember the first time I saw Jurassic Park, the one where the T-Rex hops the freighter to San Diego and stomps a whole colony of beachcombers. I also remember trying to fall asleep that night. I was something like 9 at the time. Our house had these 25 foot Austrian pines in the backyard, and every time I would open my eyes at night and peak from under the covers I’d see the T-Rex head amongst the pines. It was a horrifying ordeal, that left permanent scars on my family. I even had to have a CAT Scan to rule out possible tumors. I just kept envisioning the T-Rex, a phenomena some shrinks now like to call Pareidolia: “a psychological phenomenon involving a vague and random stimulus (often an image or sound) being perceived as significant.”

Some examples of Pareidolia are seeing faces and animals in clouds, seeing Jesus in your coffee, Jesus in your toast, Jesus in your cupcake icing, or perhaps technicolor acid rain clouds overtop Gotham City in a Jimmy Chiale painting. “Even when I look at this tile,” mused Jimmy, pointing at the floor of his barbershop at 498 Queen West in downtown Toronto. “I see these visions, I see designs and faces and all these things in the tile. I’ve always been like that. So that’s what I try to capture in my art.” Jimmy, 24, who hails from Paris, resides in Toronto, and dreams of New York, paints large murals, or rather, doodles, all done up in a wild array of colors, from hot pink and blazing red to aquamarine blue and prison shank silver. “I don’t really know how to describe my work,” continued Jimmy, rocking back and forth on a barber’s chair. “It’s all by accident. I get some money and go to the art shop and I do it right on the spot.”

And by the look of his gallery, which is essentially the Proper Reserve clothing shop at Queen and Portland, Jimmy knows what a Benjamin is, or for us Canucks, a Sir Robert Borden. Walking into Proper Reserve the first thing you notice are all the canvases up on the walls, overtop of clothing racks, the register, as well as bordering the small barbershop at the back of the store – there must have been 25 in total. When Jimmy’s not painting (or blazing) he’s supplementing his income by doing custom hair designs, or in our case, doing press. “Should we get some fresh air?” suggested Jimmy, once we had finished up with our interview. “I like your shirt,” he went on. “It looks African.” Jimmy led the way out onto the street and then down an alleyway on the opposite side of Queen. It was in this decrepit alley, after Jimmy had perched himself inside a graffitied-ridden doorway, that I was finally able to conceive an accurate portrait of this artist as a young man.

From the toes up, Jimmy had on worn black sneakers, white socks, black cargo pants with paint stains and zippers running diagonally across the front of the legs, and a matching black hoody, which he had pulled down over his curly black hair. Jimmy spoke with a Parisian accent, exposing a sole gemstone on his upper right cuspid. He had a skinny face, dark complexion, and fidgeted in the brisk January wind… that crept up the alleyway, swung onto Queen, and whistled softly beneath the screech of the streetcars. “You ever heard of CocoRosie?” asked Jimmy, loading up one of their jams on his iPhone. “Nope,” I admitted. “But I don’t miss much. So it must be good.” Jimmy played the song for me, and of course, it was fantastic. Then he tucked the remainder of his doobies back into his pocket and we came out onto the street. “Well,” I said. “I guess that’s it,” and I shook Jimmy’s hand. I was about to go on, utter some more syllables, but I saw that Jimmy was already halfway across the street, his sights set on Proper Reserve. Jimmy was back in tunnel vision, whereas I had to drive back to the suburbs and go to work.

What kind of music you into, man?

A Tribe Called Quest, I’m stuck on that old school stuff. I listen to this new jazzy stuff too. Do you know The 6th Letter from Toronto?

Yeah.

The 6th Letter, Double X.

I saw them the other day…

At the A$AP Rocky concert, they opened. They opened for Royce da 5’9”.

Yeah, that’s where I saw them.

Yeah, they’re dope. And Brisk In The House.

The whole Bakers Club.

Yeah, this is sick. This is my shit right now.

You think you could introduce yourself, where you’re at?

Well, my name is Jimmy Chiale. Right now I’m based out of Proper Reserve and I’ve been selling my paintings from here. I’m always trying to come up with events, do something different like an event at Sick Kids or something like that.

The abstract stuff is your main focus right now?

Yeah, and I’m a hair stylist too. I’ve been doing hair for a long time, but recently I’ve been scaling down to really focus on my painting. That’s what I’ve been doing, pure abstract.

Where’s that come from?

I don’t know, man. I guess I always loved doodling when I was younger. I took it to another level when I came to Canada because I started painting on canvases. I just merked doodling on canvases. I love it. This is what I get distracted by.

What do you mean ‘distracted’?

Well, sometimes I get an idea not as abstract, but when it comes in front of my face and I’m starting it my hand just automatically goes- like I can’t even help it. I get distracted. Because I get too excited by the abstract.

Is that how a lot of your work comes out, having another idea and then-

No, actually I believe my style is about making mistakes, and making mistakes look good. A lot of times when I start my canvases I choose my color but I just fuck around. I fuck around, and then this spot here and there I connect them and make it look good. A long time ago when I was not doing that I used to draw things that I would see in like… stains for example. If I had a stain of ink on the floor I would see something in it, like maybe a Japanese dude in a crazy robe, doing a crazy sign.

Jesus in your coffee.

Yeah, some shit like that. I would draw that and it would be sick. It’s hard to explain. I actually never explained that before. For example here [pointing to the floor], in the tile there, I would see this color and shape or whatever and then put it on canvas, but I would change a few things. I would get inspired by that.

Seeing stuff in the clouds almost.

Exactly, exactly, exactly, like the clouds, or even the bench right there [pointing to the bench I was sitting on], the wooden brown thing inside it, there’s always shit you can see. I used to do a lot of that, like the clouds, see a face. Now when I paint it’s automatically there. People always see things like I see things in other stuff. They’ll see dogs, fish, birds, some crazy things like parking spots. It works just like the clouds.

Where do the colors come in?

The color comes first. I have a good set of colors, and then I surround them with black sometimes. I add my axis after, the little dots, maybe some gold, some splash.

How much do your paintings go for, if you don’t mind me asking?

$1500

Is that how you make most of your income?

Now, yeah.

That must feel pretty good.

Yeah, I’m not at the top yet. I wish I could sell paintings every week, because I paint every day. I have stacks and stacks of paintings.

You paint every day?

Pretty much. It’s been quiet lately I would say. I haven’t been painting as much.

You feel like you have to?

No, I just constantly buy canvases. When I have a little bit of cash I go to the store, get a canvas for $40, $50, $60, $3200 bucks and bang, I just merk it on the spot, at night.

Right away?

Yeah, I don’t have time to come-

It’s sporadic.

It’s puking of expression. I shit that thing. [laughs] It comes so quick, and then it’s gone. Maybe I won’t remember it. There’s pieces I see in stores downtown and I don’t even remember them. I’ll be like, “How the fuck did this piece get here?” Or, “Shit, I forgot I did that.”

Do you do any graffiti as well?

No, not really, no. I don’t have time to get caught first of all. I’m not here in Canada to get caught doing graffiti, definitely not. And two, I don’t have the money to spend. I’d rather spend my money on canvases, rather than spray paint and graffiti that could get me arrested. I don’t have time for that. As much as I’ve tried and I love graffiti, and how much I’m inspired by it, it’s just not for me.

How old are you?

I’m 24.

And you came here when you were-

When I was 18.

Why?

Lots of reasons. My parents moved. They came here. When I was in France they were here a little bit before me. I came right after the riots. A lot of things were going down in France. I needed a change so I came here.

Where are you from there?

Paris, east side.

That’s where you grew up?

Yeah.

Where are your parents from?

My dad’s from the Caribbean. My mom’s from France.

Where in the Caribbean?

Martinique and Guadeloupe.

Do you ever get inspired by music?

Yeah, of course, for sure. Obviously I listen to all kinds of music.

Do you listen to music while you’re working?

Oh yeah, always. I usually start my nights at 10 or 11 with the music really loud. I put that busy stuff, and then through the night I go down into the jazzy stuff and then I turn it off. When I’m tired I don’t listen to music, because I want to finish my piece. My ears are just like zzzzzzz by that point, so I turn off the music. It’s much better.

So you blast your music?

Yeah, I blast my music constantly.

What about the neighbors?

Pshhht, I live in a fucked up neighborhood. They don’t give a shit. My neighbor doesn’t give a fuck at all, so I blast that music.

That’s funny. You definitely got to see that movie [the Scorsese part of New York Stories] because the artist, he blasts music while he’s working too, he’s always working on abstract stuff, but like 8 times bigger than your stuff.

Yeah, that’s what I’m going for. I’m going for huge. I’m not going for anything small.

How do you fill the whole thing?

It’s whatever, man, I just merk it. I do crazy ass shit. [laughs] I may be wrong, but I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of that style. As long as it keeps changing sizes and stays exciting.

Is anyone else doing your style?

Not my exact style, no.

How would you describe your style?

Well, there’s a lot of people who do urban graphic, street, abstract, so that’s how I would describe the style. I’m sure I’ve seen people doing that, but my work is just meant to be. It’s beautiful, it’s powerful. I don’t know, man. Everyone just goes crazy every time they see it. They tell me they’ve never seen anything like it before. Even a guy yesterday, who bought a painting, he was an older man, because my clients are usually over 40. These people are older and they know about artwork, or at least I would think so. They’re either art collectors or have big houses or have bought art before. They know what they like. They know what’s attractive and what’s not.

What do they say when they come?

They’re very surprised. When I have a client come in and he sees the work and he sees me he’s kind of surprised. [laughs]

I’m picturing a man and his wife, and the wife goes, “Hmm, the aesthetics of this one are rather striking-” [laughs]

No, no, but people love explaining my work, man. They love describing it. They love telling me the things they see in it, and I love that too. People get very surprised, because it’s different. They’ve never seen it before.

You have any clients that you remember, who stick out in your mind?

Well, all of my clients in a way, but I had a very interesting one once. There was this girl I met in the streets. I was bringing a big painting to a show and this woman walked by in Yorkville, she walked by me and she looked at the painting, and then she walked away and came back and asked me what’s up, like “Where are you going with this big ass painting?” I’m like, “I’m going to a show.” She was like, “Oh, too bad I can’t go.” So I was like, “Okay, bye.” And the next day I went back to work in the hair salon, and in the hair salon there’s a big window, and in front of the window there’s this bench. So I’m doing a haircut and this woman, the same woman, she comes back and she sits down on the bench, in front of my window where I’m doing a haircut and then she’s looking at me. It must have been a week later, because she didn’t recognize me right away. She’s on the other side of the window and she had a book. She wrote some shit down in the book and then my client was like, “This girl’s writing about you.” So I’m finishing my client and this girl comes in the salon and asks about me. She was like, “Oh, I’m waiting for this guy, the painter.” I go see her and she’s like, “Yeah, since I saw the painting that you had with you last time I couldn’t forget it. I’ve had it on my mind since then and I’ve been going through a rough divorce and stuff.” She told me she didn’t have money right now but she really wanted that piece. She begged me to keep it. I’m like, “Okay, I will keep it.” I asked her when she would have the money and she said in a few weeks, and a few weeks became a few months, but whatever, I still had the painting. She kept in touch with me, saying she really wanted it, she was saving the money and she was going to come back. But I didn’t hear from her, and then one day she came out of nowhere. She was so happy. She had the biggest smile on her face. She’s like, “I’m ready. I have money. Here it is,” and then she asked me to deliver it to her house. I found out about her story, you know? Pretty much the painting had changed her life. She saw something in it that she never thought she would see. She’s a teacher at University of Toronto.

It just clicked for her.

Yeah, it made her feel so happy.

Where’d she put it?

She put it in her living room. I hung it there. She had a bottle of champagne, some wine and cheese and grapes. [laughs] She was so happy.

You wish all your clients were like that?

I have a lot of them like that. Women get really excited.

[laughs] That must be the best part.

It’s crazy. I come out of the house and I’m like, “Yeah!” I’m dancing in the streets. I’m happy as fuck.

Who are your idols?

Jean-Michel Basquiat. Picasso. Definitely Picasso.

Why?

Because of his lifestyle.

Which was?

Well, when I was really young I saw his studio and that’s what made me want to be an artist, because of the space.

What about your space?

It’s pretty similar, not as big but similar, as messy, full of paintings. My place is a typical artist’s studio. And it’s not even a studio. It’s an apartment I’m trying to make into a studio. I’ve got a dog, three cats.

What are there names?

Jack, Black, Dennis.

Jack, Black, Dennis? [laughs]

Yeah, Jack and Black are the cats, Dennis the dog, and then Skylar, that’s the other cat. Three cats and a dog. It’s fucked up. But I like Michelangelo a lot too, because of the power of his paintings, the power, the mystery, the history.

[recording ceases momentarily as Jimmy and I talk movies, then resumes when I bring up New York City]

I’m definitely going to New York soon, man.

Why?

Because I feel like, I’m from Paris, Paris born and raised, then Toronto is like a stepping stone, at least in my art career. I feel like if I’m going to New York it’s my graduation.

Toronto’s like a mini New York.

It is like a mini New York. Exactly. I always call it baby New York. I feel like here it’s university time, I’m learning what I can do, learning about myself, discovering my talent, discovering about people, and then New York is like the big move. You go in there to make money. You go in there to make major moves. You go in there to merk shit up. I know what I’m going to do first. The first thing I’m going to do is find an art supply store, get a big ass canvas, and find the chillest street, where it’s busy but I can still post up and paint with my boom-box, just paint right there and give away my business card. That’s my vision of New York. I don’t envision it like a big thing.

How far off in the future is this?

I’m thinking this year, man. The problem is I lost my passport twice, in a year. I’m just not good with my papers. I haven’t been taking care of my papers. I lost it, got it back, and now the government is bothering me to get it back again. But I’m working on that right now. I will get there. New York’s not going to fly away anywhere. I’m not going to fly away either.

photography by @raymondgemayel