Focal Point Discusses Art Path & More on the Heels of The Rust’s 7-Year w/ Spoonbill
Written by Dan Warren
Photos by @pixiedreamnyc
It’s officially peak summer and things have certainly been heating up! There have been so many amazing festivals and shows taking place around the country. One of those events took place recently at House of Yes in Brooklyn courtesy of our friends at The Rust.
This unique show featured the audio brilliance of Spoonbill, Somatoast, Maxfield and Relativity Lounge, as well as the visual mastery of rising talents Focal Point, Reino and Hayley Carloni.
Fans were pouring into the venue from the start and experienced quite the intimate audio/visual spectacle. Not only were the music and visuals top-notch, but there were also live acrobatic performers twisting and turning in the air and on stage, which truly took this event to the next level. This show was a solid reminder that the power of community always reigns supreme in our scene. Another big shout out to The Rust for hosting this immersive experience
neuro.studio was fortunate enough to catch up with the headlining VJ James Houstian, better known as Focal Point, to talk about his journey as a visual artist, performing with the legend Spoonbill as well as what he’s up to these days. Focal Point is a VJ and visual artist from Baltimore, MD. He has provided visuals for crawdad sniper, Alejo and several other stellar names within the scene. Check out the full conversation below!
neuro.studio: Tell us a little bit about your background in Visual Art. What were you doing in art before diving into Visual Art / VJing? When did you start diving into what you’re doing now?
Focal Point: I’ve been fortunate to inherit a great appreciation of expression through my parents, who were both involved in the arts. I started painting at around age 15 primarily with watercolor paint and would occasionally paint at shows & festivals later on but never got too serious in that realm. I was familiar with programs like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator at the time, but it was around two years ago that I took a class in college where we used Blender as a means to create 3D scenes and animation which totally changed the game for me. I started to prefer the digital workflow and was excited about this new digital canvas to express myself with.
n.s: Who were some of your inspirations when you were starting out? Who are you currently inspired by?
FP: Starting out, I was inspired by artists like Alex Pardee, Dave Correia, Alex Grey, and Android Jones, who all have a very unique illustrative style that I still admire and enjoy to this day. Diving deeper into the 3D realm, I would say some of my big inspirations would be DR01D Visuals, ZiP Visuals, Oneirogen, Glass Crane, Beeple, and Fractaled Visions to name a few. I love the storytelling aspect of their work, the subject matter they cover as well as the atmospheres and compositions they are able to create.
n.s: Your content touches on a lot of different unique areas (nostalgic objects, tranquil landscapes, things in nature, etc.) - where do these ideas stem from when you go in to create your content?
FP: I'm heavily inspired by real world objects, nature and space. I think this is just one of those art imitating life moments. I see something and think, "I definitely need to make a visual of that,” even if I don't know how or where to start. It's the vision that brings me to the finish line and I think that's what I find so rewarding about the whole process. It's always fun being able to add a little bit of my personality into my work and incorporate everyday things that are meaningful to me.
n.s: Tell us a little bit about the show!
What was it like to perform with the legend, Spoonbill?
FP: The show was incredible, but first I would like to shoutout Reino and The House of Yes staff for being some of the best people to work with. It's obvious they care so much about the experience and are willing to put in the extra effort in order to make sure it's the best it can be.
The doors opened up and it seemed like the room was already full. It's awesome to see that level of support and to know how stoked everyone is for the rest of the night. For my second time performing with Spoonbill, I knew what I was getting into and had a better idea of how to compliment his colorful, funky soundscapes. I like his weird breakdowns and funny songs he throws in. It gives me an opportunity to get really experimental with the visuals and play some clips I might not have played otherwise. He absolutely crushed his set just like everyone else who played that night, as well as the acrobatic performing artists who captivated the audience with their skillful movements and otherworldly costumes.
n.s: When you think about the sets you have under your belt, is there a particular set/show that sticks out where you thought -
“Wow, that was really awesome.”
FP: I've been lucky to perform at some stellar events over the past two years, but I would say Submersion Festival 2023 was the first time I felt like I was part of a team of VJs, which was something really special. The property is beautiful, the VJ Coordination & Hospitality Teams are excellent and every year they manage to outdo themselves. There's something about the comradery of working together in a group that really enhances the experience and pushes everyone to do better.
n.s: Outside of visual art, I know you’ve been dabbling in making physical art pieces. Tell us a little bit about what you do in that area of art.
FP: Yes! So, I started working as a CNC operator at an event production company about two years ago. A CNC machine is essentially the opposite of a 3D printer in that, instead of adding material, you're taking the material away (printing vs. cutting). As time went on, I grew tired of always having to ask permission to work on personal projects, so I purchased my own hobby sized machine, which has led to some pretty awesome creations.
I have always had a love for tactile mediums (painting, sculpting, drawing, etc.) and fell in love with the process of turning my 3D designs into tangible objects, as well as learning about different wood finishing methods and machining processes. It's really just an extension of my evolution as an artist.
n.s: Who are some of your favorite artists you enjoy listening to?
FP: I've been on a drum and bass kick for some time. It's honestly multi-purpose, whether I'm trying to work and get stuff done or hype myself up. I love what artists like The Caracal Project, IMANU, and Buunshin are doing. They all have some really unique stuff coming out. Another artist definitely rising to the top of my list is Flamingosis. It's just such a proper summer time vibe, honestly a vibe anytime. Same with Tycho.
n.s: Looking ahead, what are some of your big goals for the Focal Point project? Are there any particular artists that you hope you’re paired up with in the future?
FP: I think there are a couple stand out goals for this project. I've been on a solo mission for some time, but I definitely want to collaborate with more artists in the future. I always love seeing different styles come together.
Another big goal of mine is to VJ The Rendezvous, Tipper & Friends as well as Secret Dreams. I love how people really immerse themselves in the visuals and appreciate the artistic choices made by each VJ. As for future pairings, there are a couple artists I always enjoy working with like Crawdad Sniper and Alejo, but I think a K.L.O. pairing would go kinda crazy too.
Lastly, I would like to scale the CNC operation much bigger. I'm basically doing all of my woodworking projects in my apartment, which is very tedious and inconvenient, so I dream of a day where I can work freely without worrying about the smells, dust, and noise that I'm creating inside.
n.s: Thanks so much again for taking some time to speak with us!
Where can our readers learn more about you?
FP: You can check out my website for wallpapers, new drops, and portfolio related things at focalpointarts.com or find me on socials @focalpointarts