Artist Sam Rodriguez Speaks on the Evolution of His Art and His Upcoming 1800 Tequila-Inspired Clyde
A mashup of Mayan art and California graffiti culture.
A few days ago, we got a first look at the the Sam Rodriguez x PUMA Clyde sneaker which is set to drop on Cinco de Mayo. Today, we gain further insight into Sam’s world in San Jose, California, and how 1800® Tequila brought the sneaker collaboration to life. In a newly released video of the artist at his workspace, Sam discusses how his style has evolved over the years from graffiti writer, to art scholar, to contemporary artist and his personal history with PUMA. We learn that the Clyde was one of Sam’s first hyped sneakers — representing the same hip-hop and graffiti subcultures that inspired his art career. Sam concludes by discussing how he combined Aztec and Mayan hieroglyphs with his own street art style to create the artwork for the shoe, as well as how 1800 Tequila inspired the sneaker’s colorway and elements of the print including the trapezoidal shapes of Mexican pyramids reminiscent of the 1800 bottle.
Watch the full video above, and stay tuned for more information on how to get your hands on the limited collaboration which will release on Cinco de Mayo.
