From running a DIY gallery in San Francisco to curating monthly art walks and crafting his own ever-evolving creative practice, John Vochatzer is a powerhouse of artistic momentum. As the co-owner of Moth Belly Gallery (@mothbellygallery), John blends raw authenticity with community-driven passion, offering both emerging artists and seasoned creatives a platform rooted in care, collaboration, and respect.
In this candid interview, John opens up about the joys and pitfalls of working in the art world, what artists often get wrong about galleries, and how embracing change—not consistency—has shaped his journey.
Where Are You From?
San Francisco, California
Where do you long to live (reality or fantasy)?
In a society where all of our fundamental needs are met.
What inspired you to pursue your current profession?
While calling anything I do a “profession” might be a bit of a long shot, I got into being an artist and co-owning a gallery because both creating and appreciating art have been intrinsically at the center of my life for as long as I can remember. It’s not really something that I’ve pursued with the intention of it ever being a lucrative career or anything like that, but between all the different hats I wear (my art practice, tattooing, co-owning a gallery, DIY publishing, and managing a monthly Art Walk in SF) I’ve been fortunate enough to scrape by doing (mostly) things that I am passionate about.
How has the work you do changed and evolved over the years?
Me and my art are in a constant state of change and reinvention. About 5 years ago I made a major shift in my art practice– transitioning from making the surreal and grotesque mixed media collage work I was perhaps best known for, to the folk & naive art inspired illustration-based work I do now. It’s always been most important for me to keep things stimulating and fun for myself, rather than retaining any type of consistency or “brand” per se, but constantly mixing it up does come with its drawbacks.
I feel like someone who contains multitudes of creative identities within myself, and most of which will never come anywhere near full fruition.
What is the most unexpected/strange/exciting thing to occur over the years in your line of work that you still think about today?
Nothing really stands out in my memory to be honest– I will say though, that one of the most gratifying things for me has been when artists and creatives that I looked up to for years suddenly become friends and peers of mine. I won’t name names because there’s too many and I don’t want to leave any one out.
Artists not only shoot themselves in the foot with this type of behavior, I’ve also first hand seen it contribute to the burnout and closure of galleries. So in short– just respect other people’s time, effort, and energy.
What advice would you give an artist starting out (young, middle-aged, old – any age) who wants to be a professional artist?
I think artist-to-artist, every path is different, and it’s hard to give any one-method-fits-all type of advice to anyone. I will say though that in a day-and-age where everyone is overstimulated and art is ubiquitous, it’s more important than ever to be genuine, to be original, and to have something to say.
As the co-owner of an art gallery that focuses on emerging artists however, my advice is this: take the opportunities you are given seriously and follow the instructions you are provided with. At our gallery we get paid little-to-nothing and bend our backs over daily to give artists opportunities and do everything we can to help them in their trajectories– and yet so often deal with folks who don’t bother reading emails, disregard deadlines, and don’t even do the bare minimum of what is expected of them (and just expect everyone else to pick up the slack).
Artists not only shoot themselves in the foot with this type of behavior, I’ve also first hand seen it contribute to the burnout and closure of galleries. So in short– just respect other people’s time, effort, and energy.
What do you wish more artists understood about the business side of working with a gallery?
As someone who runs a DIY, artist-run gallery, I don’t think a lot of artists understand how much it really is a labor of love. I can’t speak on the incentives behind larger, blue chip galleries, but most local galleries I know, the owners aren’t in it to try to make a fortune. Artist-run galleries and spaces pop up and close down overnight all the time, because people underestimate the time, work, and cost of running them, and the level of support needed is rarely there.
So if anything, I wish more artists understood this and made more of an effort to help take care of the galleries and spaces that take care of them.
We’re all parts of larger creative ecosystems, and we all need to contribute and do our parts if we’re going to grow and sustain ourselves.
What qualities do you look for in an artist when considering representation or exhibition opportunities?
For our gallery, it’s usually about finding a balance of art that I like, and artists who are active and engaged in the community. Of course if we’re going to have an exhibit on the walls for 1-2 months, I want to be surrounded by art that I enjoy which usually falls under the umbrellas of abstract figurative, art brut, or surrealism.
That being said, we try to give priority to local artists and especially those who are coming out to the shows, engaging, and supporting other artists and galleries. From there, we usually start artists out in group shows or in our annual art auctions, and if they are professional and pleasant to work with, we’ll start considering them for bigger opportunities from there.
What is your favorite quote?
There’s quite a few of them, but a quote that has really stuck with me over the years is “consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative” (Oscar Wilde). I think something about this quote has always just resonated with how chaotic and all over the map I am creatively. It lets me romanticize my tendency to jump from medium to medium or style to style, and gives credence to the notion that the straight path might be the easiest, but it isn’t always the best.
“consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative” (Oscar Wilde)
What are you listening to or reading right now?
My attention span has been pretty shot when it comes to reading these days (thanks Instagram), but the last book I picked up that I read a good chunk of was a recently published collection of art writings by artist and politician Matt Gonzalez. The book also happens to start off with a review he wrote of my solo exhibit “All The Little Things That Happened In Our Heads” that I held last year, so that was a good impetus to actually delve in, haha.
The book contains a lot of writings on the works of friends and peers of mine in the Bay Area, as well as some historical essays including one about an artist collective in the late 50s/early 60s called The Firehaus Group from Stockton, CA, which is where I grew up. In a day and age where everything including art is just quickly glazed over, the book offers a lot of refreshingly in-depth perspectives– and I definitely recommend it!
What is the one statement you could give to your younger self that you would give anything to go back and relay to them at a pivotal moment?
Sheesh, that’s a tough one. While I try not to dwell much on regretting the past, because it led me to become the person I am now, I did do a lot of irreversible damage to my body and my mind through years of drugs, drinking, and poor lifestyle decisions, and I guess if anything maybe I’d tell my younger self to stay away from all that shit in the first place.
But who knows– I do also believe that all of the suffering that I put myself through sculpted me into a more understanding and compassionate person, so maybe in some way it was all necessary for me.
This industry thrives on collaboration and support. While it’s both beautiful and challenging for gallerists, curators, and artists alike, having strong allies can make all the difference. Is there someone you’d like to acknowledge for their support and impact on your journey?
It’s very true– in cities at least, we live in creative ecosystems, where collaboration and support are necessary for us to thrive. Artists can often be challenging individuals however, and scenes can have a lot of different egos and other behaviors that can be difficult to work with and navigate around. At the end of the day all we can do is try our best and if we’re lucky find the groups and individuals that make it all worth while.
There are more people than I can begin to name that have been crucial on my journey, but one of the first that comes to mind is my business partner KT (@seibot) who, despite our occasional butting heads, I wouldn’t be able to run this gallery without. And of course my partner and favorite artist Andrea Bergen (@andreajanebergen), who’s support has been invaluable these past couple years.
Zoo Baby by: Justin Brown Durand
As an art collector, what is the last artwork you purchased?
I think the last piece of work I bought was a colored pencil drawing by Justin Brown Durand (@justin_brown_durand). He is a Massachusetts artist who I had bought work from once before, but happened to be showing at Fayes Video in San Francisco a few months ago where I snagged another piece. He is a super talented and prolific artist and the work is insanely affordable, I definitely recommend checking out!
Thank you for the interview. Anything else you would like to tell people that perhaps we missed?
Thank you for interviewing me and giving my grouchy ass an opportunity to vent a little, haha! If I could just sneak in a little shameless self promotion– for anyone who is interested, I just released a new book called “Drawing Without Worry” that features 100 digital illustrations I made on Procreate between late January and early April, 2025.
The book chronicles the latest chapters in my ongoing efforts in creating a worry-free art practice for myself, and despite a lot of the drawings looking like I drew them with the Apple Pencil between my butt cheeks, I’m very proud of it. If you want to buy a copy you can find it on Blurb, or just follow the link in my Instagram bio (@calamityfair).
