Interview by Rowynn Dumont
"If any visual artist captured the ethos of the San Francisco house music scene during its '90s salad days, it would be Owen Maigret. As with hippies and their cherished Grateful Dead poster art, an aging raver need only glance at one of Maigret's expressionistic blue-green musclemen figures to be transported to a trippier time."
~'Owen Maigret's Conquering Label' by Darren Keast - SFWEEKLY - Oct 25, 2006
This quote does not even begin to describe the character, the influence, and driving force in the music industry in the past, that is Owen Maigret. What is not written about as much, ironically, and what he is better known for is his art. His paintings are commonplace at raves, and showcase the album covers of each of the bands that he produced.
I met Owen a few short months ago, and up until this day have been at a loss for words for this man and his accomplishments. Numerous articles, and press have been written about him and his expediters in the music industry as well as his influence as a painter in the underground scene especially in the late 80’s and through out the 90’s. When listening to him speak, he spins a tale of accomplishments that seem something from a contemporary fable. His ideas and drive are a visual word of the late century and the one that has just begun.
I sat down to do an interview with him, in order to clarify the difference between what is the said “idea” of OwenArt and who the real man is. Here is the conversation that took place in the late hour at the brink of early summer 2010.
R:
In speaking about your history and involvement in the music industry, in the past and how you got started, can you talk a little about that?
O:
There was “HouseWares” on Haight and Masonic in San Francisco. I also owned a clothing store plus several in Honolulu and had a number of people working on our clothing line near Market St. and we would hire a bunch of girls from the fashion industry and they would do a new line for us every season. In San Francisco, I also had five record labels, and everything was beneath the company name “By the People” and “By the People Corp”.
Some of the Djs that worked with me were “Mr. C” (Shaman UK), “Doc Martin”, “Gene Farris”,” Roy Davis Jr.”, “Steve Loria”, “Jeno”, just to name a few.
I also owned a reggaeton label called “Conquering Lion Soundz”. Another one I was partnered with Oliver Bristow and Abbey Alverez on was “Jaded Muzak”, which released the “idjut boys”. In addition there was “Other Sound Recordings” with Eddie Richards, and he’s known as the godfather of English acid house music. And I mustn’t forget, “Soulfood Recordings” with Dj RaSoul, which was one of the largest indie labels.
R:
In relation to owning these music companies, and clothing stores, what does this have to do with your art?
O:
I did all the art for the covers of the albums, the ads for my stores and all the fliers for each of my parties.
R:
So is this how people started to recognize your stuff?
O:
Yes but, I just signed each piece “Owen” and since my style is recognizable, everyone just started to call it OwenArt. I did not come up with that name.
I have been painting since I was 3, and I later began to carve stone sculptures.
I have never stopped painting, but I quit doing shows for a while.
R:
Is there a reason that you now want to just focus on your art?
O:
I ended up spending all of my time doing business, because I’m a perfectionist. All of my hours would go into the studio to make sure everything was all good, and I just don’t want to do that any more. My art has always been more important to me and the thing is, I was always told that artists never make any money. I had an accident in Big Sur where I fell 65’ and almost died and it made me realize what was important, so I ended up painting….
Many people got involved with my music business, because they knew I was reliable and they wanted to work with me, so I am still dealing with the last parts of that venture. In the future I just want to do art though.
R:
Did you want to list any upcoming shows or talk about any new projects?
O:
I have shows scheduled in Dallas, Germany and LA and I am the process of talking with people from Switzerland, India and all across the US. All of this is coming up before the end of the year.
Other upcoming projects that I am working on is a feature film with some major name Hollywood actors and actresses and they are doing a documentary about the history of the house music scene and they are going to talk a lot about my involvement with the music scene and the stores. That is the reason that I did shows sponsored by Levis and we ended up doing shows at the Museum of Modern Art SF. One was called “RGB” and one was called “ 01”, this was around 2000 and 2001.
In August of 2001 I fell off of a 65ft cliff and had to be airlifted to the hospital where I had surgery and recuperated in Europe. As a result of this, my stores closed because I wasn’t there to run them. Since this was a life changing experience, I thought I was goanna die, the last thought I had was I am gonna know what it is like to die right now and since I lived, I feel like I lived for a reason and I feel like in my life I was given this gift of art and I want to share that.
But I mean that is why I have always done the fliers and covers for free, because I just wanted to share my art with people.
I always wanted to help others and I would get involved because many of these type of people I worked with were my heroes growing up, but now I just want to concentrate on my own stuff. When projects are handed to me, they are so amazing and I want to be a part of them, but I am at this point in my life that I want to concentrate on just me and my work, and not the music industry, or films, I am helping do the documentary about the rave scene, because they are going to put my art in it. Before I was just trying to be involved in projects and I have always been good with deadlines and as someone who is a leader. Right now I am in the middle of setting up a collective of internationally known artists. But I am the one that is the driving force behind it and that is just a part of my character. That is the way it has always been.
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