John Garduno on Creativity in LA

When we dropped a recent collaboration with Bandit LA, we immediately thought of John Garduno to capture it. John is a fixture in the running and creative communities. His studio makes creatives feel at home and empowered to collaborate with one another, and also creates bridges between the creative community and the wider social fabric of Los Angeles.

This collection celebrates the vibrant streets of LA through the shared lenses of Bandit and Renegade, and John was the perfect choice to represent our lens. ⁠Below, read about what inspires John, his favorite pockets of LA, and how community influences his art.

(Portrait by Rodney Campos)

1. What's a place in LA you go to for inspiration in your work? What feels special about this place? 

Boyle Heights. Nothing refreshes me more than coming to this side of town, driving down the streets seeing the art, going to my favorite panaderia, going to el mercadito to eat, to buy candy or to just walk around and see what I can get. Popping in through a kitchen to one of my favorite restaurants to get hand made tortilla. Boyle Heights is special for me for everything it is, and I feel I find inspiration here by just being here. Colors, texture, light everything. 

2. How and where did you find a creative community in LA? How has this community influenced your work? 

I feel I am blessed to have many pockets of the creative community. I have my community group I went to art center with where I lean on them for everything, jobs, advice, critique. Etc. The other community group I would say the creative group D1 created. We host these lunches Fridays at the studio where we invite creatives to the studios. This group is so fun and always growing. Both communities influence my work because they motivate me so much as an artist. Seeing how talented all my friends are and how passionate they are influenced the way I push my art.

3. Who is your favorite LA-based artist? Where can people find their work?