Artsy Daisy The beautiful timeline of art
Taking yard art to a new level
Light up the sky with neon beauty
Items needed to start a glass blowing business
Graffiti and stencil work with Federico Archuleta
Blanton Museum of Art Blanton Museum of Art The University of Texas at Austin 200 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Austin, Texas 78701
Museum and Shop Hours Monday: CLOSED Tuesday: 10 AM – 5 PM Wednesday: 10 AM – 5 PM Thursday: 10 AM – 5 PM
(THIRD THURSDAYS OPEN UNTIL 9 PM. ADMISSION IS FREE EVERY THURSDAY.) Friday: 10 AM – 5 PM Saturday: 11 AM – 5 PM Sunday: 1 – 5 PM
Exhibitions: Between Mountains and Sea: Arts of the Ancient Andes February 1, 2014 - August 17, 2014 In the Company of Cats and Dogs June 22, 2014 - September 21, 2014
Contents 6
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A New Artist in Town A new glass blowing artist in Austin, Tx gives inside detail on her day to day life
18 Street Art in Austin The story behind a Tex-Mex graffiti artist and his work in Austin
26 Giving Colour to Austin A look into the man who painted Austin with his art
Artsy Daisy | Page 5
From the Editors
Top: Jessica and Angie
W
Bottom: Elysa, Josephine and Olivia
elcome to the Artsy Daisy magazine! Meeting the first day, we struggled to figure out what topic we wanted to make our magazine about. We all had very different ideas that have now come together to form this magazine. We came to figure out our topic by using the process of elimination and continuously going back and forth to the drawing board. From Arts and Crafts, DIY projects, to overall creations, we finally decided to do a magazine on the local arts. These six weeks together have made us look deeper into the arts of Austin and why we love it all. We really got to know each other better and are glad we did. We made this magazine to express the creativity of new and old artists in this beautiful capital city and their experiences. Within the next pages, you may be surprised by the things you might have never known about Austin. Thank you for reading our first magazine, and we hope it inspires you to try your hand at creating some sort of art. This has been a great experience for all five of us and we hope it is a great experience for you as well.
The Struggle Was Real
Josephine Boulware
Jessica Mouer
Olivia Dudley
Angie Trinh
Elysa Naranjo
Contributors’ Page
Angie Trinh was born in Houston, Texas and moved to Austin in 2001. She has been interested in art ever since she was a child and loves to paint and draw random pictures of random things. Along with that, Angie likes DIY projects and photography as well. She loves to bake cupcakes and cookies while the weirdos she calls her brothers eat them. She plays the piano and guitar or plays video games with her brothers when she has time to kill. Angie has an unhealthy addiction to Netflix and absolutely loves riding her Ripstik. If she could go anywhere in the world, she would travel to Narnia to meet Aslan.
Elysa Naranjo was born and raised in Austin. She lives with her mom, dad and older brother Ivan. Elysa loves all forms of music. She started playing the flute in her sixth grade year and in her last semester at Kealing Middle School, she learned how to play the tenor, saxophone for the jazz band. Some of her favorite bands and artists are The Beatles, Marina and the Diamonds, Lana del Ray and Survivor. If she could travel anywhere in the world she would love to visit the Almaty mountains.
Jessica Mouer was born in the Philippines and moved to Austin at six years old. She has always been interested in art and has been drawing ever since she learned how to hold a pencil. Most of her drawings consist of anime-like characters and cats, but she also loves drawing realistically. As time consuming as it can be. She enjoys wasting hours of time on the computer, being bad at playing video games, and talking with her special someone, which is definitely not a waste of time. If Jessica could go anywhere in the world, she’d probably go to Sweden. She has no idea why, but the lands of Sweden are calling her.
Photo credit to Gaby F.
Josephine Boulware was born in Austin, Texas. In a city where art is everywhere, she has grown up to love it. She herself is terrible at drawing, but enjoys doing DIY projects in her free time and loves photography. When she’s not in violin practice, at school, or hanging out with friends, you will most likely find her reading, playing with her bunny, or out running. She has always wanted to visit the Cathedral of Junk, and now has. She wants to travel to Paris, France to see the Louvre and it’s artwork with her parents and little sister.
Olivia Dudley is very foreign to this new and proclaimed art scene. She has never really been interested in the art scene until now. Working on this magazine has made her interested. She is the oldest with one younger brother, who isn’t the best all of the time. She lives with her mom, dad and brother in east Austin. Her interests include playing volleyball, watching Netflix, and cooking. If she could go anywhere in the world right now she would either go to Bora Bora or Florence, Italy. She is very excited about attending LASA and really hopes that you like this magazine.
Artsy Daisy | Page 7
THE JUNK KING
Story and Photos By: Josephine Boulware
Vince Hannemann shows his “Junk King” tattoo.
“it’s not just something that people look at, it’s something that people use, and it makes them feel good.”
I
n 1988, Vince Hannemann began collecting a few hubcaps in his backyard. Almost 30 years later, those hubcaps have grown into a stable, three-story structure containing over 60 tons of “junk”. The “Cathedral of Junk”, is constructed out of bicycles, bottles, CDs, a prosthetic leg, the nose cone of an airplane, and a punch clock, just to list a few of the items which make up his creation. The Cathedral of Junk, located in South Austin, is the result of one man’s desire to play in the backyard. “You get to make your own little private world the way you want it to be,” Hannemann said. Officially it passed the line between yard art and a full-on construction project in 2010. The city of Austin required Hannemann get a building permit for his creation, but not before he had to remove 40 tons of metal from the Cathedral to comply with city code. Everything within five feet of the fence was taken away because of the setback requirement. “It was a real hard deal,” Hannemann said. Since that time, Hannemann has been repairing the Cathedral from that damage. Hannemann is almost done fixing the Cathedral. He said he still has to work on the staircase to the third floor, finish up the that floor, and add landscape lightning as a finishing touch. Then he’s calling it 99 percent done. The Cathedral of Junk is not the first time Hannemann has had fun creating backyard sculptures with junk. He has built several other sculptures outside of Austin, and is currently selling smaller pieces of work at home, that he is continually having to restock. “There’s a picture of me when I was 16 in my backyard in Santa Fe with one of my first backyard sculptures,” Hannemann said. “So, my MO [method of operation] hasn’t really changed much, just me playing in the backyard.” Hannemann said he used to go walk the creeks and find junk to include in the Cathedral. Later on, he got a job at the recycling center at the landfill for a year, and was easily able to bring home a lot of junk from there. Since then, most of the stuff he has put into the Cathedral are donations, which arrive at his driveway, in the mail, or in person. He has gotten everything from a box of rubber duckies from Washington State to a chainsaw blade with $20 in a package from Anchorage, Alaska. Sometimes Hannemann has to get rid of some of the
Front of the Cathedral of junk.
junk because he is constantly receiving new stuff. Hannemann prefers weather resistant and long lasting junk to the new plastic-based stuff from China. Anything that is American-made, comical, iconic, heavy metal, or from the post-WWII period, is bound to be loved by Hannemann. “Good quality junk,” Hannemann said. His favorite pieces of junk include a plaque that was donated by the Women’s Golf Association from 1959. It is set in concrete rubble from when the city made him get his building permit. He also favors a punch clock that has been through a fire, has a huge dent on the top, and was last set at 9:00. “Those are the sorts of things that I like best, that kind of make you wonder,” Hannemann said. “You kind of wonder, what’s the real story behind it?” According to Hannemann, people who visit the Cathedral of Junk laugh, smile, and cry. Hannemann has had several kids run around the Cathedral like in a playground, kids crying when it was time to leave, adults crying for different reasons, and people of all ages having a good time. “I had this one little girl come in the other day,” Hannemann said. “She came into that front little room and the CDs were sparkling like they do, and all the lights were going around on the ground, and she goes, ‘Fairies!’”.
“There’s a picture of me when I was 16 in my backyard in Santa Fe with one of my first backyard Sculptures.”
Artsy Daisy | Page 9
A top view of the Cathedral.
The Cathedral’s red section.
A portion of the yellow section at the Cathedral.
E
ven if they aren’t emotionally moved, it is common for visitors to go down memory lane. “They’ll see something and say ‘Oh, I had one of those,’ or ‘Grandma had one of those,’” Hannemann said. “It does feel like a sacred space to them sometimes.” Not only do visitors come to see this creation of twisted metal, but they also propose to their girlfriends there, use it for plays, get married there, shoot commercials, host birthdays parties, and have boy and girl scout troops come over. Right now, he is hosting a production of the play “Bob: A Life in Five Acts.” The director of the play is the theater director at McCallum High School, and some of the cast are students at McCallum. “It’s not just something that people look at, it’s something that people use, and it makes them feel good,” Hannemann said. The Cathedral of Junk is also appreciated by people all over the world. People have come from Australia, the Netherlands, China, Russia, Nepal, and almost any other country you can think of. Hannemann has been told by some visitors that the Cathedral of Junk wouldn’t have arisen in their home country.
“This lot and this house and Austin, everything, it’s kind of meant to be,” Hannemann said. “It is site specific.” Even though it might have been meant to be, learning to go with the flow has been a big challenge. The Cathedral of Junk is very time consuming, and has become Hannemann’s full time job since 2008. “It has been just more and more popular, it’s a nonstop thing,” Hannemann said. He choose to make it his full time job then, because he received his first check from Bank of America for being in one of their commercials. For the same reason, he also got the words “Junk King” tattooed across his fists. Although it takes up so much of his time, Hannemann doesn’t like to think of the Cathedral of Junk as a business. He does not have set times that people are allowed to visit in. He said becoming a business would just bring up a whole other set of rules. Hannemann would love to do whatever he wants to do with the Cathedral of Junk, but there are always limits to what you can do. He has to take other people into account. As the Cathedral of Junk gets more and more popular, Hannemann has been asked to cut back the number of people who visit. Now, visits are by appointment only, which is what Hannemann had in mind anyway. “It’s kind of like being a sea captain though; this is my ship,” Hannemann said. “Sometimes it’s calm sailing and sometimes it’s a crazy storm, thanks to code enforcement and rules and neighbors.” But part of the fun part for Hannemann is making it all happen. “If I can keep the city happy, keep the people happy, if I can keep my neighbors happy, if I can keep me happy, and if I can keep the people who want to experience the Cathedral happy, then I’m doing pretty good,” Hannemann said. “It belongs to everybody else almost as much as it does me.”
“You get to make your own little private world the way you want it to be”
The top of a dome from the inside.
The back of the Cathedral.
Caste of Junk Among Vince Hannemann’s favorite pieces of junk are a beat-up punch clock, a prosthetic leg, the nose cone of an airplane, and a plaque that reads, “Donated by The Woman’s Golf Association 1959”. All these things make him wonder about the story behind each object.
For Hannemann, if something is American-made, comical, iconic, heavy metal, or from the post-WWII period, it’s most likely good quality junk.
Some things Hannemann can never have enough of, even though he already has many - bicycles, tires, aluminum crutches, and wire.
Items that are plastic-based, have nooks and crannies that can hold water, or that were made in China, are of no interest to Hannemann. MADE IN CHINA
Sources: Vincent Hannemann, Asq.org, Roadsideamerica.com, Detourart.com
Artsy Daisy | Page 11
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Serving Crafty Texans Since 1976
MODERN VINTAGE Artist Todd Sanders in his studio. RoadhouseRelics.com and photographer Katherine O’Brien
By: Elysa Naranjo
T
here is an unique art gallery on the corner of Annie St. and South First Street, and in this small studio awaits an artist. He stares at his brand new and bare sketch of an upcoming work of art. The thin and grey pencil lines he has drafted will soon be transformed into a beautiful neon sign. This artist is named Todd Sanders and inside his gallery called Roadhouse Relics, Austinites will find a new type of art they will
enjoy. “I just realized that I’m getting older and that I’m not gonna live forever so I wanted to be a fine artist since I was a kid,” Sanders said. Growing up, he has always loved making art. An artist like him has many different ideas and projects than just painting or sculpting. Instead he creates huge neon signs by painting old pieces of metal and having neon tubes go around the edges. “I just moved over here with a few hundred dollars in my pocket and I said ‘sink or swim, either you’re gonna make it or not,’” he says when reminiscing on his first times coming to Austin. Sanders became interested in neon sign making about 25 years ago when he first came to Austin via road trip in 1990. “I used to come up with ideas by going on trips and seeing what existed out there and then come up with original ideas and works of art from that,” Sanders said. He was taking a drive from Huntsville to New Braunfels with a friend during his college years. In what most like to call “destiny,” he missed a turn. After realizing he had missed his exit, Sanders saw a sign that would change his life.
“I came over the hill in Del Valle and said ‘aw man we’re almost to Austin, let’s just go and drive around a bit and look around Austin and go to New Braunfels this evening?” He drove into town in a little VW Thing and the second he saw all the neon lights around him, he decided that he was going to spend the rest of his life here. “There was just so many things that came together in the spirit of the city,” Sanders said. “The influences of Austin just condensed me to go for it and scare myself and do something that really felt like living and it was making art as a profession.” Before Sanders was a fine artist, he used to build commercial signs. There he had to make a very tough decision whether to follow his dream and take a leap or stay in the same business and not be happy. Although this is what happens to most artists, Sanders has a different view on it. He wants his art to stay with his family and friends here in Austin. Wanting his art to live on is a dream that he has.
Todd Sanders with his sketches. RoadhouseRelics.com and photographer Katherine O’Brien
“I just realized that I’m getting older and that I’m not gonna live forever so I wanted to be a fine artist since I was a kid.” Sanders said that he always feels like he can connect with the Austin art community because they all love to be with each other. “It has a great artist community that is more of a sharing community than I’ve ever been in,” Sanders said. “They don’t hold their cards too close to their vest they enjoy learning something and then sharing it with others.” He also has good connections with artists all around the country. Recently, he was in a joint art show with Jasper Johns at a SXSW show. Getting inspiration is key when creating new pieces of art, Sanders describes. He finds his from a variety of places. “I study what the old guys used to do and I create and base a whole new original work of art off of theirs,” said Sanders. With over 400 reference books of neon signs and pop culture art to look from, he certainly has done his reading. He then applies it to the sensibilities of the sign makers of the 1930s, 40s. “I do like to get my inspiration from the past and one thing I love is the signs that are in a shape,” said Sanders. Another place he pulls ideas from is the modern world. He had created a piece that includes the saying ‘WTF’ on it that was inspired by the actual saying. Recently, Sanders states that he is trying to come up with more clever phrases and ideas. He observes everything and is always looking for things that can be transformed into neon. ”I’ve gotten inspiration from something my little three year old boy has said or some new slang term,” said Sanders.
Artsy Daisy | 15
Sanders has won many awards for his art and he has even been featured in museums across the country. He has been shown recently in New York at the Architectural digest design show as well as the Museum of Neon art in Los Angeles. But one major project that Sanders is especially proud of is the Fleur de lis neon sign he created in the spirit of post Katrina. After he sold the sign, he donated the proceeds to the Saint Bernard’s housing project. They have built a portion of the main house from his donation that contains his art. “I do want to focus on making more important pieces that have a message and affect people in a positive way,” said Sanders. Sanders believes that many young artists might lose confidence to become one, like how he did when
he was first starting out. They could be forced by others to stop drawing or creating artwork and to instead choose an alternative. He talks about the time when all his friends had stopped drawing and started with something else. “When I was younger, art was something that you’re supposed to put down when you’re 11 and start picking up the football or the other things and I never did,” Sanders said. “To be honest I never really good at sports or school but I loved art. So I kept drawing after all my friends quit. But I really want to inspire people to know that you can be an artist when you grow up.” He likes to remember old times when he first started to create art back when he was just discovering it. All artists have to start somewhere.
Fleur de lis neon sign created and donated to Saint Bernard’s housing project in New Orleans, Louisiana. Artist Todd Sanders of RoadhouseRelics.com and photographer Matt Rainwaters
Krypton
Krypton is the 36th element in the periodic table. Krypton is mainly used to create light in gas discharge lamps where it is most commonly used. In neon signs, Krypton makes a pale green to light white blue color.
Mercury Man
Crown
The Science in Neon
Mercury
Hg
Helium
Mercury has the number 80 as its atomic number. Mercury can be used in a variety of different ways from dental fillings to thermometers. It can be very harmful if swallowed or ingested. Mercury can create a dull-off blue light in neon signs.
Source: WebElements.com
“I study what the old guys used to do and I create and base a whole new original work of art off of theirs.” All credit goes to Artist Todd Sanders of RoadhouseRelics.com and photographer Matt Rainwaters
He
Helium is the second element in the periodic table. It is one of the lightest elements and is colorless, tasteless and non-toxic. It usually fills up you balloons or fills supersonic wind tunnels. In neon signs helium has a orange to whiteish glow.
“The first ones that I remember were a little bit younger than you,” said Sanders. I just used to take peoples names in school and junior high and I would put ‘Joey loves Mary’ in a shape of a heart and their names would fit in the heart shape and I would like get 25 cents a piece on ‘em and I would make four dollars a week sometimes making art.” He believes his work can be conveyed in one simple phrase that incorporates his two mediums. “I call it ‘Modern Vintage’ because it is a far end of both scales,” Sanders said. “It looks like something that is from the 1940s that is rusty and beat up, but it’s brand new and it’s fine art.” The neon aspect of his artwork incorporates modern times, while the paint and metal that he has it cut out of is the rustic and weathered side. He loves to inspire young artists of Austin and he hopes to inspire even more people across the country. “You can make a living out of it and it’s gonna be a struggle at first but if you work hard at it and keep going it’s a rewarding life,” said Sanders. “I couldn’t imagine anything that would make me happier in my profession than being an artist.”
Artsy Daisy |17
STREET ART IN
AUSTIN
Federico Archuleta, a graffiti artist in Austin, does street art across the city By: Angie Trinh
W Federico Archuleta lives in Austin and does all kinds of art work for restaurants and companies. Photo Credit: Angie Trinh
With a Mexican background, lots of Federico’s stencils are Mexican theme inspired. Photo Credit: Angie Trinh
ith a spray mask covering his face and a spray can in his gloved hands, graffiti artist Federico Archuleta paints on the doors and windows of an abandoned house on the east side of Austin. Finishing the “Virgin Mary” and the “Ramon Angels” on the adjacent windows, he left his signature mark next to each piece of art and packs up his tools in his bag, leaving for the day, only to find his ark work missing one night. Years later, Archuleta got an email from a lady apologizing for stealing his pieces that he had painted. She had sent him a picture of them hanging on the ceiling of her living room. Street art has become so popular that it is being stolen and used as decorates. Graffiti has been around for 50 years and was often referred to as vandalism. Many people saw it as a way to damage property and detested it. Austinites see it as a way to add color to the city and have taken graffiti to a whole new level, especially near downtown thanks to graffiti artists such as Banksy. Graffiti is now seen as street art and has become more popular within the public and is one of the many features that make Austin unique from other cities. “Street art has affected Austin for the most part in a very positive way,” Archuleta said. “It’s attracting more and more people. When I first started doing it there was probably only like about three or four prominent guys that you would see. They would work around town. And now there’s just so many.” Archuleta is originally from El Paso, but left in 1995 to live in different parts of the country such as San Francisco, Las Vegas and Dallas. He decided to move to the capital of Texas with his younger brother who was a musician who lived in Austin “I moved here in about 2001 and the city was already changing a lot then but now it seems like everybody is trying to move here. It’s crazy,” Archuleta said. Archuleta started his career doing stencils to airbrush T-shirts. He taught himself how to do graffiti art and then started painting on
large cardboard pieces. He took off from there and started doing large murals for companies and as a hobby as well. “It was something I came about by accident because originally I was more of a commercial artist,” Archuleta said. “And here in town there used to be a store called Tower Records, it was a record chain by the University, and I worked there as a display artist. Then when they were going to break down the store and close permanently, that gave me a lot of time on my hands at the moment and I decided to do large scale stencils of some musical idols of mine like Johnny Cash and The Clash... and so forth.” Federico is best known for his notable murals scattered around Austin. Austinites find his artwork unique in style and often recognize his work when they walk or drive past it. “And then after that, the feedback that I got from the public was so great that I thought ‘I think I’m pretty good at this, I’ll continue to do it,’” Archuleta said. “And I did other figures
and images. Since then that was about ten years ago when I started doing that. It’s not all I do. I’m a freelance artist and I do other stuff as well but that’s what the people here in Austin primarily know me for.” Archuleta gets his inspiration from music for his art work, especially from his favorite music bands, album covers and posters. He also keeps his eyes peeled for things like movies, movie posters, cartoons and comic books to get fresh ideas. Since Archuleta has a Mexican heritage and was born in a border town in Texas, both cultures show a unique influence on his art, giving it a Tex-Mex style. “What I love most about street art is that you’re taking the art to the people. So they don’t have to go to museums,” Archuleta said. “They don’t have to go to a gallery or anything like that. It’s there for them to see if they’re walking down the street or riding their bike or driving in their car.” Street art is one of the few forms of art that doesn’t require a lot of space and that’s what makes it unique from other types of art.
What’s your favorite type of
Street Art?
4% Street Installations 1% Video Projections 9% Stickers 15% Wheatpasting
2% Yarn Bombing 2% Other
24% Graffiti
43% Stencils
527 People voted More information at vimural.hubpages. com Art Credit: Angie Trinh
The “Johnny Cash” stencil was inspired by Federico’s musical idol. Photo Credit: Federico Archuleta via Facebook
Artsy Daisy | Page 19
“‘Til Death Do Us Part” was partly inspired by the Pirate Flag and is one of the most famous pieces of art that people know Federico for. Photo Credit: Angie Trinh
More information about different types of graffiti at listdose.com
“It’s an art form that takes back the public space because most images that you’re going to see in public are going to be signs or billboards or advertisements,” Archuleta said. “It serves to counterbalance all of that which is in some respect high pollution as it is. And to be able to make art that people enjoy and inspires them, it becomes part of the city itself. It gets embraced, if you’re good enough that is. I’ve been looking up to have a lot of the pieces (that have) been around out for ten to five years at this point.” Archuleta doesn’t get paid so much for the street art but he does make money by doing murals for restaurants and other companies. He is always busy with phone calls and
emails, asking for his to make a piece of art. “Initially I was (surprised by the reaction I got from the public) but then I came to find out that if you’re passionate about something, and you repeat it enough, people in a strange way will respect it even if you’re not that good actually, that’s the surprising thing, Archuleta said. “There’s this one graffiti artist in town...I forgot his name, I’m sure you’ve seen the sticker of ‘Queen Mary’ with a spray mask. And that image is okay. It’s not bad, it’s not that great but the fact that he has plastered it all over town enough times, it has gained some respect because it speaks more of the passion. At times passion (at) some respect can trump talent.
“Keep that in mind; perseverance at times is better than talent.”
Federico often paints pieces of love, happiness, and other positive themes along the walls of Austin’s buildings. Photo Credit: Angie Trinh
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Visit Archuleta’s showcase page at cargocollective.com/federicograffitiwestern
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“...it’s a matter of owning your style and specializing in something.”
Make Your Own Graffiti Kit
Pain
you could at web designs now, portraits. It’s hard to find your niche and I’ve been fortunate to find mine.” Archuleta believes that anyone can accomplish anything if they set their mind to it and don’t give up. “It’s a matter of just sticking with it but you could make a good living off of it. It’s a matter of owning your style and specializing in something. That’s a key word,” Archuleta said. Archuleta would like to start doing more graffiti stencils in other cities around the world. He just wants to make enough money to support his family in the future and get his art work seen by other people. Archuleta believes that street art such as graffiti and stenciling is what brings new meanings to the people in the city. “I think (street art) is one of the most positive things in the face of all this over development that’s been happening (in Austin),” Archuleta said.
Bucke
If you’re passionate enough about something that’ll.. that’s why sometimes you see bad actors and bad movies. They have those careers because they just try it and try it or musicians. Their songs may not be that great but yet they have hits but it’s just because of their perseverance that they manage to remain on top. Keep that in mind; pers eve ra n c e at times is better than talent.” Archuleta doesn’t know what he would have been if he hadn’t found graffiti as his passion. He says that he might have followed his brothers in becoming a musician since he has always loved music. “I’ve enjoyed drawing since I was a kid so I would have to say probably about age eight,” said Archuleta. “I kind of knew that that’s what I wanted to do. It’s very easy to say ‘oh, I want to be an artist’ because then after that comes the question of ‘what are you doing.’ There is so many facts of what you can do. You could be a commercial artist, you could work at (an) advertisement,
Face M
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Art Credit: Angie Trinh
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Pain “Let’s Band Together” was dedicated to victims of the South by Southwest accident. Photo Credit: Federico Archuleta via Facebook
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Artsy Daisy | Page 21
A New Artist In Town The Story Behind Glass Blowing Austin and the Owner Morgan Bogart.
S
By: Olivia Dudley
tanding in the hot shop a studio on Bolm Road close to with three hot kilns Hwy 183 and has since moved running over 2000 into her own studio, Glass degrees, Morgan Bogart Blowing Austin, near Highland and her assistant, Theresa Mall. She was introduced Jorgensen, are sweating and to glass work as a child. tired from working on pieces “When I was about four of glass decor made earlier years old at my grandparents’ in the day. On the walls of the house, they had a little glass studio, different pieces of art strawberry and elephant and such as cups, plates, bowls, and I was just mesmerized by it other supplies and I guess it “When I was used to create just has always glass pieces. A stuck with me,” about four machine sands Bogart said . years old at my down pieces When Bogart grandparents’ of glass to first moved house they had to Austin, she perfection and a little glass fans blowing didn’t really through the know what strawberry pieces of to expect. and elephant glass that have “Seven years and I was just holes in them. ago when we mesmerized by Although first moved here it and I guess it it was all music, Austin is known for being a music 2D and 3D art just has always city, the recent really stuck with me,” wasn’t incline in 2D and emphasized said Bogart. 3D art studios/ and the museums has Museums here, increased the popularity of art are pretty sad but, they are and to Austin the city has been getting a lot better, although putting more money into the everything is so geared toward art industry. Since Morgan has music that the visual arts have moved to Austin, she has made been kind of shoved aside an impact on the art industry, but over the years with the forging a path and leading the Eastside studio tour and now way for other glass blowers. the Westside, it feels like we are Bogart moved to Austin from getting more recognition and Seattle, to continue her dream of the city has been putting more blowing glass. She started off at money into actual art throughout
the city which is great to see,” Bogart said. “Owning a business has its ups and downs,” Bogart said. Being a business owner is something that means something to Bogart.“It is Stressful, fun, and overwhelming at times, it’s a lot of work than when I worked for someone else. The rewards are a lot better, but when you mess up it’s all on you...I like being a glassblower because it takes so much practice and so much commitment, that it helped instill a lot of discipline in me but also a sense of accomplishment and especially owning my own business it’s really hard and a struggle but when you succeed it’s amazing it feels great you know you did it you know you are not working for someone else, which you know working for other people, some people prefer that over having their own because it’s a lot of responsibility, but for me it’s a really fulfilling.” When working with fire there are risks of getting burnt and Bogart said she is willing to take that risk. “Every once in a while I burn myself, I’ve been tired and burn myself in the same spot,that’s not too pleasant but nothing too awful,”Bogart said Although Bogart owns her own business she still has a life. Her passion is still a job, the only thing is she is the boss.“I have a husband and two dogs and a house, pretty normal stuff, go for walks, go out for dinner, nothing too crazy,” Bogart said. “I mean some people when they ask even though
Morgan Bogart sanding down glass art to perfection in the hot shop. Photos given by Morgan Bogart
Photos given by Morgan Bogart
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Photos given by Morgan Bogart
they have a job you know they say I’m a mother, or I’m a wife, or you know, I’m whatever, I say I’m a glass blower because that’s what defines me.” In the glass blowing world/ community, glass blowers don’t usually work alone they usually have a partner(s) to work with to create different pieces. “Glass Blowing is very much a community and is a team effort usually, there is very few people that work solo and that is because there pretty anti-social.” Bogart Said. “When I was in Seattle you know I was working on crews that had eight people on it, just to work on one piece. So everyone had a hand in it, for me Theresa [her assistant] is the main person that helps me so I have to trust her inherently when we make stuff because she needs to do certain things for me that out of my control totally up to her. It’s very collaborative and you need to find good people that you get along with well.”. Continuing a passion means
that a person is learning every single day that they continue and that also means that they really
“Glass Blowing is very much a community and is a team effort usually, there is very few people that work solo and that is because there pretty anti-social.” enjoy their passion because they haven’t thought about changing it. “I wouldn’t say that my passion has grown, I’ve learned a lot, but I think I have always been equally exciting some days I’m less exciting because it’s still my job,” Bogart said.
Glass Blowing Austin is slowly making its way to the top of the chart. Bogart is now starting to transition into commission work and beginning to really put Glass Blowing Austin out there. “The hope is we need to move again into a new space, this is our second space.” Bogart said. I’d like to be able to get into a space with more artist/ artisans and probably having an actual retail presence which we don’t have right now. I mostly do commissioned work and then teach. But the big thing is expanding, I don’t want to get to big because a lot of shops do that and they grow, grow, grow and then when the economy tanks or something happen and they can’t afford their overhead anymore. I don’t have a concrete plan because this is one of those industries that you just have to roll with the punches.”
According to Bogart, “Austin’s Art Culture is expanding, as well as her company.” “ Everything here has been so geared toward music that the visual arts have been kind of shoved aside, but over the years with the Eastside studio tour and now the Westside.”Bogart said. Bogart, is now starting to become more apart of the arts in Austin.
place to live. I know in Texas it’s not, but compared to Seattle and New York it’s still easier to make money here, and what’s sad is that we haven’t been able to sell work here and that is starting to shift so hopefully it keeps going in that direction,” Bogart said. Bogart teaches a class every Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to noon. It is a beginners basic glass blowing class with a max of three people paying $150 per class. To
“It feels like we are getting more recognition and the city has been putting more money into actual art throughout the city which is great to see, because there are really great artist in Austin. Austin in the scheme of things of big cities, Austin’s a pretty inexpensive
continue going to work everyday and moving on with her passion Bogart has a philosophy she lives by:“Try to take everyday and do something that makes you happy.”
“We moved here from Seattle almost seven years ago. When we first moved here it was all music, 2D and 3D art wasn’t really emphasized. The museums here were pretty sad but, they are getting better.”
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Glass blowing V.S. Lampworking
1.
1. Works Solo
Work In Groups
2. Items needed to start a business 2.Items needed to start a business Glory Hole,Yoke, Heat Sheild, Blow Pipes and Punties, Safety Glasses, Shears, Gloves, Bench, Marver, Tweezers, Pliers, Tongs Jacks, Wood and Graphite Blocks, Wood Paddles, Annealing Kiln, Small Torch/Hothead Torch, and Glass Blank Molds.
Minor Bench Burner Torch ,Hoses, regulators, check valves, Propane tank 25 lb, Oxygen tank or Oxygen concentrator , Heat proofing workbench, Safety glasses, safety gloves, Mandrels, bead release, basic tools, Glass rod assortment ( 15 lbs. ), Kiln, pyrometer, and thermocouple. Sources: http://www.schermobeads.com/ https://www.sokanu.com/
Art Credit: Olivia Dudley
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giving color to Austin By: Jessica Mouer
I
The Austin Postcard Mural located around the corner of the Roadhouse Relics store on its south wall Photo from free source
t’s a sunny afternoon and spirits are high. An array of paints and tools are laid around, and large areas of the wall have been painted with small details, by steady hands tracing the designs being shown by a projector. When the art is finished and the supplies are cleaned up, people gather around to admire or take pictures in front of the painted side of the building that gives Austin a little bit of flair and colour. “My art makes people feel good about the experience. That is important. Advertise life,” Skagen said. Rory Skagen, an artist local to Austin, Texas has been painting murals such as the Home Slice Pizza mural or the more known Austin Postcard and Good Morning Austin murals that have been adding to Austin’s interesting sites. “I have always been an artist. But, in our society, to be an artist that does not make a living on it, is somewhat humiliating,” he said. Rory Skagen began working as a professional artist in 1994 after moving into Austin in 1992. He had graduated from the University of Arizona with a BFA in fine arts. In the years before, Skagen had some difficulties in finding ways to make money with his art.
Rory Skagen and friends in front of Roadhouse Relics, with the Austin postcard mural behind them Photo provided by Rory Skagen
“Hands down this mural has had the highest Impact on the Austin community. It has become a ubiquitous image of Austin pride.” “About half of the work we did was for free,” he says, “We did this work to establish ourselves as the “go to” mural and installation art guys.” Using money from Unemployment benefits, he and his first art partner worked full time trying to get mural jobs and large scale sculpture jobs and would work for about ten to twelve hours a day working on anything to do with art, jobs with costumes and conventions to large scale sculptures. “Today, my work is less complicated.” Other than mural and design, Skagen now is part owner of the Blue Genie Art Bazaar, a show that features 200 artist and crafts people during December and has also created a line of products based on his paintings that he sells at the show and at Armadillo Christmas Bazaar. “I try to imbue my art with a sense of irony and joy. I hope that is what they feel,” Skagen said, “Generally, I want people to smile to themselves when they see it.” The majority of Rory’s art is figurative, a form of art
Austin postcard mural in progress 2013 Photo credit to Gino Barasa at 1138studios.om
that is clearly derived from real object sources, though he is competent in many styles, and still able to put in the intended message and theme that mural is supposed to send, whether it be for business or events. “Other murals I have done, independent of their longevity, have inspired other artists, and have brought joy and commerce to those who have seen them.” His murals have become great attractions, the Austin postcard Mural on the side of Roadhouse Relics at 1720 S 1st St Austin, which he painted with his partner at the time, Bill Brakhage. Skagen says that this mural has “hands down” had the highest impact on the Austin community. Every month hundreds of locals and tourists take their photo in front of it. It has been featured in many commercials and television shows. “I usually try to determine what they want based on what they like of my past work,” he said when talking about how he designs the mural. Skagen often finds himself having to give them multiple designs to find the right direction, the design that the client receives being very close to the final mural. Most of the murals that he does are for business. A business calls with a request for a mural, sometimes having a specific picture they want painted, often they have a generally idea of what they want, sometimes based on the work they have seen of past work.
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“Art is what inspires me to make art. My sense of self esteem is finally what made me go out and sell it.” Rory Skagen with one of Austin’s painted cows that were placed around Austin in 2011 + Photo provided by Rory Skagen
“I will still do what it takes to make the mural right,” he said. Skagen says he always makes sure that he is happy with the final mural no matter the costs. He would ask them questions about the theme and visit the proposed site to measure the space and to inspect the wall’s surface. “Even if a portion of the mural with a color that is close to the right color, but not quite right, I will remix the color and repaint it.” Skagen would set up hours where he can reasonably work and set up. When the design and price of the mural has been established, the first thing he does is to transfer the design to the wall, using an overhead projector to project and trace the design on the wall, or create a pounce pattern and “pounce” the design on the wall with charcoal. Pouncing is
where a loose graphite or charcoal is rubbed through a series of small holes punched in a paper pattern to transfer the design to an item to be decorated. Walls might be taped off and tarps might be set up and used to protect the surroundings from paint that spill or drip. Base colors are mixed and larger areas are filled in, moving on to smaller details afterwards. “Depending on the mural, size, house paint, artists acrylics, or sign painting enamel paints used, a mural can be done in a couple of days or a month,” he said His art makes people feel good about the experience and that’s important, he says, because all visual arts are advertisements. “If you want to make money at art you have to think of yourself as a business,” he said, giving advice to
The pictures above showing the process of painting the mural; (top) projecting and (bottom) filling in Above three photo credit to Gino Barasa at 1138studios.com
artists starting out in the world. He advises aspiring artists to have a strong portfolio, because people need to be reassured that you can actually achieve what they are looking for. “Practice. Then, rinse and repeat,” said Skagen. Skagen also advises to learn how to be competent in different materials and styles. Sticking to only one style will bog you down, he says. He also warns that there are very few “art” jobs. That if you want to make money at art you have to think of yourself as a business, so understanding business and taxes is important. “While working I am incredibly focused. When your income depends upon your art, you have to be,” he said.
“It’s the difference between working for $40.00 an hour, or $5.00 an hour,” he said. The rest of the time, when you are not making art, you have to figure out how to promote yourself. Art is high in the non-technical majors unemployment at 11.1% according to Edutrek. Rory Skagen is comfortable with his humor, and with the absurdity of human life, adding on to his general skepticism of everything. “The years have made me skeptical, but I still believe in the best from people,” he says, “I try to generally forgive people and myself for past mistakes, and try to make sure they are not repeated. “
A History of Art Cave Paintings Dated back to 40,000 years ago , they are thought to be used to tell stories, to draw visions and powerful beasts and risky hunting scenes
Medieval Art
400 - 1400 CE
Covers Early Gothic art, Early Christian art, and Pre-Romanesqueand art. Consisted of religious art Christian art with animal motifs. Most of the art in the time being shown through the architecture
Modern
1860’s - 1970’s
The term is usually associated with art that past traditions of the past ave thrown aside in expirementation. This era included movements like cubism and abstract art. It was a new way of seeing,
Renaissance
1330 - 1550
This was a time were where some of the most famous paintings were created; Mona Lisa and The Creation of Adam and famous artsists, like Michelangelo and Leonardo were around
Romanticism Art
Early 1800’s to mid century
Romanticsism art relied on the emphasis of the imagination, emotion, and natur. Art including representations of man’s struggle aginst nature and concepts such as liberty, survival, ideals, hope, and despair.
Contemporary
1970’s- present
Contemporary art is art that has been and continues to be created in our lifetime. This era has been more socially conscious than any previous era with being used to connect with issue
Sources: Historyworld.net, Princton.edu, getty.edu/publications/pdf
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UMLAUF UMLAUF Sculpture Garden & Museum 605 Robert E. Lee Road Austin, Texas 78794
Hours: Monday & Tuesday: Closed to the public Wednesday - Friday: 10am - 4pm Saturday - Sunday: 12pm - 4pm
Art credit: Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum Photo credit: Josephine Boulware
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