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Interview with Jayson Maulé

I interviewed Jayson Maulé on the occasion of his show at Cruise Control Cambria.

Q: First of all, I’m curious about the title of your show, ‘68-95-99.7’.  Can you talk a little about where this came from and how it relates to your work?

Arroyo Grande, California

Jayson Maulé, Far Cry, 2023; Cruise Control Cambria, California

Jayson Maulé: ‘68-95-99.7’ is an empirical formula for data sets, think mean or average. The title is a reflection of the norm I experienced growing up in my sleepy hometown, where I currently live; and working out of my childhood home. 

Then overcoming that convention through action and reaction, the work itself has become almost like an act of defiance against that standard formula. It’s like my declaration of freedom against what I felt growing up.

Which was exciting and bizarre coming to that realization, to see how much environment truly affects me.

Jayson Maulé, Platform, 2023; Cruise Control Cambria, California

Q: The declaration of freedom acts as a marker for change.  How would you describe your relationship to the environment that you grew up in?

Jayson Maulé: A few words to describe my relationship to the environment could be; quiet, solitary, still, bittersweet maybe(?). Sense of community has definitely or greatly been instilled in me here. And I am so so lucky to have grown up where I have, and yet I know it won’t last forever; because I know what has come and gone. The word fleeting feels closest right now.

Q: In what ways has your environment influenced the paintings in the show?

Jayson Maulé: I feel like there are three distinctions within my environment. There’s the suburbs, my childhood home, and the backyard. I feel like suburbia became the formality that my work can tend towards. My backyard has shown me subtlety, how to be grand and also understated via the natural landscape. My childhood home has afforded me that childlike curiosity and/or wonder; to mix and master the environment(s) as I see fit.

I feel like this environment has been the groundwork for me as a whole.

Jayson Maulé, Breach, 2023; Cruise Control Cambria, California

Q:  So these three components coalesce into new environments, which are the paintings?  I see  Breach as a natural interior, like a cave with markings on the wall.  Is this something you were thinking about as you were making the painting? 

Jayson Maulé: Yes, that’s true! The components coalesce into the new environments which are the paintings. Wow. It’s funny you say that, I wasn’t totally cognizant of that when making the work, but I do think that wall mark making is deeply seeded in my psyche or something. Like some sort of spy sleeper code.

Q: Sometimes things happen in painting that you’re not aware of until much later, it takes time to become clear.  What’s important is to remain aware and let things happen rather than trying to interject ideas into painting.  In other words, let the work develop and listen to it along the way.  It’s likely to become the deepest relationship you’ll ever have.  Thinking about it in this way means accepting that your paintings will change as you change and more often than not, that change will be unfamiliar and fraught.  Clarity takes time.  What periods in art history are you interested in?  Are there any artists who have influenced you?

Jayson Maulé, Shrill, 2023; Cruise Control Cambria, California

Jayson Maulé: Some periods in art history that I am interested in include (but are not limited to) are: Art Nouveau, Naturalism, Impressionism, Pop Art, Manga, Comic Art. Many artists who have influenced me or worked on me include: Cherét, Lautrec, Alphonse Mucha,

Caspar David Friedrich, Ilya Repin, Van Gogh, Lichtenstein, Miyazaki, Araki, Yoshitaka Amano, Jim Lee … I feel the list could keep going and going!

Also I know, similarly, that Pokémon and The Legend of Zelda series has had a great influence on me from a young age. As well as other video games that are very sentimental to me like; The Last of Us, Kingdom Hearts and Jak and Daxter.

That awareness or clarity that you’re speaking of has, in fact, become the deepest relationship to myself I have found. And it almost feels like I’ve been discovering more of it/myself, recently. Clarity does take time.

Jayson Maulé is an emerging artist with a unique intersection of creativity.  He explores the essence of being and the enduring nature of human existence. Navigating the intricate web of relationship, places, and ideas, Jayson seeks to encapsulate a personal truth through his abstract works. A recent graduate of PCPA's Professional Actor Training Program and an attendee of Portland State University's Graphic Design Program, he continually evolves his craft.

His works have been featured in exhibitions at Cruise Control Cambria (Cambria, CA), Lonely Palm Ranch (Huasna, CA), Linnaea’s Cafe (Slo, CA), San Luis Obispo’s Art After Dark (Slo, CA), and HMVC Gallery (NY, NY). Additionally, he has been recognized in publications such as Slo Life Magazine (Dec/Jan '23 Issue) and Guts Zine (Late 2023), furthering his impact in the contemporary art scene. His ability to navigate both the visual and performing arts adds a distinctive layer to his artistic narrative.

Charles Smith founded the Cruise Control Contemporary gallery in November of 2021. The space focuses on solo shows for California artists of all disciplines and is equidistant from both Los Angeles and San Francisco. The physical central coast location draws on the attention and attraction of the larger art markets while retaining the freedom to play and celebrate the best of overlooked and underserved California artists. After managing private large scale commissions in New York and assisting a prominent art advisor the move to a more manageable and accessible space was a natural reaction to the heightened outside influence and the shuttering of mid tier Los Angeles art spaces in the post pandemic landscape.