Butch Locsin’s two-car storage is stuffed with skulls. Thirty-nine skulls to be precise.
They’re not actual skulls; they’re masterfully sculpted, intricately painted styrofoam masks. When he locations one over his head, he transforms into his alter ego: the Skeleton of Shade.
Locsin makes use of the masks throughout his hypnotic avenue performances when he clothes up in vibrant three-piece fits and units off dozens of smoke grenades, swirling clouds of shade round himself. He’ll march ahead in glittery, silver loafers, lunging to the bottom and spinning round. When he emerges from the smoke, he seems triumphant.
Butch Locsin holds one in all his signature cranium masks in his studio.
(Wesley Lapointe / Los Angeles Instances)
The Skeleton of Shade lets Locsin specific himself in a means the “typical Butch” can’t. “The masks empower me,” he mentioned. “After I put them on and all eyes are on me, it simply offers me this confidence, this rush.”
Locsin has carried out all world wide, from the streets of L.A. to festivals in New Zealand to parades in Mexico, since inventing the character in 2014. He’s been in commercials, motion pictures and music movies, and garnered roughly 250,000 followers every on Instagram and TikTok.
Taking pictures his mysterious smoke exhibits in public isn’t any small feat. Locsin wants to seek out areas massive sufficient for the smoke to rise and unfold. He additionally wants to suit all his digicam and lighting gear with out blocking passersby and visitors. He likes going late at evening to the 2nd Road Tunnel, Slauson Avenue Bridge and Bay Road. He usually places on the exhibits to make social media content material, however generally he’ll publish a couple of shoot on his Instagram story so followers can come watch in particular person.
Locsin developed an infatuation with skulls as a child after seeing them graffitied on the streets of L.A. His favourite Marvel character was the Punisher, an antihero whose image is a cranium and crossbones. So, he started to design cranium masks. The colourful fits and smoke grenades adopted.
“I began enjoying round with this character and I used to be getting actually constructive suggestions,” Locsin mentioned. “And from there it simply took off.”
The Skeleton of Shade is an homage to Mexican tradition and the Day of the Lifeless, a November vacation honoring the lives of previous family members. It’s usually noticed by means of household gatherings or the creation of shrines — and sporting cranium make-up and masks. Although Locsin is Filipino American, he appreciates the vacation and enjoys celebrating it.
On social media, Locsin’s efficiency movies are flooded with constructive reactions, however whether or not his artwork upholds the unique that means of the vacation remains to be open to debate.
Twelve of Butch Locsin’s 39 masks.
(Wesley Lapointe / Los Angeles Instances)
Consuelo Flores, a Day of the Lifeless legacy artist at Self Assist Graphics, a corporation dedicated to advancing Chicanx and Latinx artists, believes private relationships and identification are vital components of the vacation.
“It’s crucial to me that this celebration maintains its authenticity,” she mentioned. “His work could also be fairly and it might be dazzling, however I don’t suppose it has the substance to be an genuine illustration of the celebration.”
Flores mentioned there’s a sure duty that comes with cultural representations in artwork. “It entails a stage of respect and understanding what we’re doing as a substitute of simply enjoying with it,” she mentioned.
Nevertheless, Gabriela Rodriguez-Gomez, a Chicanx research knowledgeable who teaches a course at UCLA on Day of the Lifeless visible tradition, doesn’t let Locsin’s Filipino roots have an effect on the best way she views his artwork.
“I at all times say to my college students, ‘In the beginning we have to acknowledge and respect the truth that these are traditions that have been handed down by means of generations by Indigenous individuals,’” she mentioned. “‘However you don’t should be Mexican or of Mexican descent to grasp or admire these visible cultures.’ After I view this work, I see somebody who’s appreciative of a really deep-rooted custom that’s not simply in Mexico but in addition in Latin America and lots of different components of the world. I’m glad he’s taking this on and loving it and discovering success with it.”
Rodriguez-Gomez added that it’s vital for artists to offer again to the cultural communities that encourage them, whether or not that be by means of monetary help or elevating consciousness about traditions.
Locsin has made an effort to attach and collaborate with Mexican creators like Fermin La Calaca, a performer from Mexico. Like Locsin, Fermin wears painted cranium masks. Not like Locsin, he makes use of solely his stage title and by no means removes the masks in public. The 2 have been collaborating since 2018. Final yr, they starred in a business collectively for a Mexican canned items firm.
“On the finish of the day, he’s not Hispanic however he represents the tradition rather well,” Fermin mentioned.
Two of artist Butch Locsin’s signature cranium masks in his studio, spliced into one cranium picture.
(Wesley Lapointe / Los Angeles Instances)
Efficiency artist and painter Butch Locsin wears one in all his signature cranium masks in his studio.
(Wesley Lapointe / Los Angeles Instances)
Two of artist Butch Locsin’s signature cranium masks in his studio, side-by-side.
(Wesley Lapointe / Los Angeles Instances)
Locsin is honored to show his artwork in Mexico and to have discovered group by means of the Skeleton of Shade. He is aware of that his Day of the Lifeless representations solely scratch the floor, however it’s as a result of he’s set boundaries for himself.
“I do know it’s finest to permit it to come back naturally,” he mentioned. “As soon as I really feel I’ve the proper technique to showcase a deeper illustration, I’ll dive deep. As the best way issues stand now and what I’m comfy with, the character has been an entity of celebration.”
Fermin and Locsin name commonly to “ping-pong concepts actually intensely.” Fermin will inform Locsin how he’s working to excellent setting his fingers on hearth and Locsin will clarify his imaginative and prescient for a brand new masks.
“You must perceive, this isn’t a daily job the place you’re employed eight hours a day,” Fermin mentioned of his and Locsin’s work. “It’s a continuing factor. You’re at all times excited about it.”
After graduating from a San Fernando Valley highschool and going to automotive commerce college, Locsin bought a job at an L.A. Health. Someday, after eight years of promoting fitness center memberships, he give up on a whim and enrolled in group faculty to take portray, life drawing and picture enhancing lessons. “Lots of my classmates had practiced artwork their complete lives,” Locsin mentioned. “However my inventive renaissance got here late. I needed to push myself to match the usual of what I noticed round me.”
His masks begin as hole, styrofoam semicircles. However after sculpting them with sandpaper, masking them in Bondo physique filler (usually used to restore automobiles) and smoothing the imperfections together with his fingers, Locsin finishes the masks in a wide range of methods. He’s lined masks in pretend marigolds, pearls, mirror shards and gem stones. He’s affixed hats on prime, and painted others with lots of of detailed brushstrokes. He’s glued 20,000 beads onto masks whereas watching “Recreation of Thrones.”
“With each new masks I make, I at all times ask myself, ‘How can I be progressive? How can I be totally different?’” Locsin mentioned.
Some masks have names, like “Rojo” or “Mr. Suave.” Locsin’s favourite masks is known as Malakai. A easy, seafoam-green cranium, Malakai was one of many first masks Locsin created; he believes it brings him luck. He wore it throughout his first efficiency in downtown L.A., traveled with it round Europe, introduced it to a Day of the Lifeless parade in Mexico Metropolis and used it whereas filming a music video for French Montana (who purchased two masks for $3,500 apiece afterward). Locsin doesn’t usually promote his masks. He needs his character to be one in all a form.
Locsin’s fits are one other essential side of his performances. In faculty, he went thrifting for swimsuit items at Goodwill. The garments usually match loosely and didn’t match. Now, he will get his outfits tailored. The final time he counted, there have been 37 fits in his closet. He rotates by means of them for his shoots.
“The smoke, the outfits and the masks are all coordinated primarily based on shade concept,” Locsin mentioned. “Nothing is random. It’s all stuff I realized in my artwork lessons.”
When he was working at L.A. Health, Locsin by no means dreamed of turning into a efficiency artist. Now, he brings his masks with him to the fitness center. He says he’s extra comfy with it on than off.
“The masks makes him an amplified model of himself,” mentioned Cesar Ramirez, one in all Locsin’s shut associates. “It offers him this charisma.”
Locsin’s life now revolves across the Skeleton of Shade.
“That is one thing that I’ve devoted myself to for the final seven years,” he mentioned. “I wish to create a picture that can outlast me.”
Locsin just lately flew to Mexico for the beginning of what he calls “Day of the Lifeless season,” his busiest time of yr. For him, it lasts from late August till the November vacation. Whereas in Mexico, he’ll movie two commercials and tons of content material for social media. He’s at present creating two new purple and gold masks for the journey. An identical swimsuit is with the tailor.
