Domestika Creatives: Edel Rodriguez

We talked to the artist and illustrator responsible for some of Time Magazine's most emblematic covers, Edel Rodriguez

At the age of 26, Edel Rodriguez became Time Magazine's youngest ever art director for both their Canadian and Latin American editions. This extraordinary achievement is just one part of the fascinating life of one of the most interesting artists in America, a multidisciplinary creative who has created emblematic covers, illustrated children's books, and worked on posters for theater and cinema.

A brilliant career in which his Cuban origins have played an essential role and which, in recent years, has gained acclaim due to his brilliant work as a cover artist on the policies of the Trump administration. Rodríguez is the author of some of Time's most popular (and, above all, most political) covers but his career is much more than this.

We took the opportunity to interview him in New York, at the School of Visual Arts, to go over the milestones of his life and learn about his working philosophy. Watch our conversation below:

How to make political art

Rodriguez's first maxim: "to make art is to do exactly what you want to do at any given moment": that is, to create freely, without political or creative restraint. All this, of course, has its risks: at a time when several countries in the world are suffering democratic setbacks, free art may have more enemies than ever.

But that doesn't stop Rodriguez: in the case of the United States, the artist has criticized the Trump administration by creating several emblematic covers, that have gone around the world, in which his unique ability to work political satire through image shines through. "I like to push the limits further, to play with censorship," Rodriguez tells us. He says that, with the enormous amount of audiovisual distractions we are subjected to today, it is essential to find a powerful image to attract the public's attention.

The tyranny of style

The Cuban-born artist paints, makes collages, works digitally, and combines these skills and mediums. "Style is like a tyrannical dictator to me," says Rodriguez, who believes that spending a lifetime working within the same parameters, whether imposed by clients or oneself, is not for him.

This multidisciplinary approach has made Rodriguez one of the most interesting American illustrators and artists of the moment, and shows that when artistic practice is set free, wonderful things can happen.

The importance of Time Magazine

Rodriguez, as we have mentioned, was Time Magazine's art director for 14 years, from 1994 to 2008. He says that's where he learned everything he knows about illustration, since the constant creative process and dealings with other artists helped him find his place and style.

The artist continued to work at Time until, a little over a decade ago, he decided to set up his own studio to focus one hundred percent on illustration. And it's still going.

Memories of a Cuban exile

As a Cuban exile, Edel Rodríguez's work always explores the limits and balance between freedom and censorship. He tells us about his grandparents' humble beginnings: people who worked every day with their hands, and who gave him his work ethic.

Rodriguez wants to show, through his work, what an artist is capable of when he can create in freedom. Hence his defence of the role of the creator in the United States: "We all think that's what this country's about. If that isn't true, what am I doing here?"

Never stop doing personal projects

To dedicate oneself to creating outside the established limits is Rodriguez's first piece of advice to all those who want to start in the world of illustration. Always develop your personal work, so that you do not fall into a loop where you are hired just because of what you have done previously for other clients. If you are able to show different things and that better reflect your ideas, there is a better chance that, in your next assignment, you will be able to add them, thus you vary your style and stay active.

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