PROJECTS
Art & Soul Show
Art & Soul: The Mythology of the Blues. This was a one-man exhibit at the Boyd Gallery located in Deep Ellum, the hub of art and music, in Dallas, Texas. 56 pieces of artwork were created at all levels of scale and in multiple mediums. This included a 13’ x 9’ Mural with a theme that explored the mythology of Robert Johnson, his mysterious death, and the cult of legend that was born out of it — selling his soul at the crossroads. Another highlight was a Blues Throne 3D piece, built out of objects I discovered across the Dallas area, and sculpted into a full-seated homage to the history and culture of the music.
“I wanted to explore the mythology and origins of this art form, which seemed to have its DNA inside all the music I listened to growing up in the 1970’s. What I found is, inside the true culture of the blues, resides an impactful imprint in our current state of art & culture, having moved way beyond this art form’s known rhythms and universal themes.”
Blues Throne
The vision of the throne was to create a living piece of art with lights, paint, and messages that was built so anyone could sit in and inhabitate the art. The many intricate pieces were assembled and connected with small paintings of early musicians and folklore, words and lights, all bound together in story.
“The idea of one being able to inhabit inside a piece of art was something I always wanted to examine. A throne built as a mosaic to this idea of mythos and tale seemed irresistible.”
Art & Soul: Mythology of the Blues Book
The blues book was an immediate sequel piece to the show itself. It was created during the 6-week exhibition. It’s inception was organic, and thusly began as a scrapbook. But soon thereafter, it became an original art piece filled with pages of hand written type, photos, and original paintings built in a collage-like artist journal form.
“I started the book immediately after the show, more as a way of getting more ideas out of my head and into their visual form. The result was a magnificent and comprehensive volume of art and story.”
Circus Punks
Working with STRANGEco was an invitation to participate in the new Vinyl and Plush artist toys scene that swept the art collector world in the middle 2000’s. The El Diablo Mini Punk was distributed along side other artist-heroes work such as Gary Baseman, Tim Biskup, as well as many graffiti and other artists participating in the Tokion and Kid Robot sphere of outsider art.
Deep Ellum Film Festival
The Deep Ellum Film Festival (DEF2) was a charity-based film festival located in the Deep Ellum neighborhood in Dallas, Texas, that ran for 7 years. Each year was an exciting and highly charged creative summit. It was my first experience with Arts Fighting Cancer, and a wonderful artistic place to be a part of and contribute my vision and skill. The festival work included creating an ongoing series of Festival Event posters, extended branding, and the opportunity to create each year’s festival awards, which typically took on a life of its own.
Live Draw
Live Draw was a one-night art event that included various artists rendering nude models in short time form, all in front of a live audience. The scene is a spectacular one each year, and I have been privileged to take part in several of them. Each artist, working in their own mediums, created a series of one-minute to 5-minute timed pieces, which are then taken immediately and put up to auction for the patrons to bid for purchase. The event benefits Arts Fighting Cancer.
“I’ve never been more nervous while creating art. Never more prolific either.”
Dallas Soars
The City of Dallas commissioned 50 local artists to paint prefabricated Pegasus horse sculptures that were displayed in public areas in and around the city. The Dallas 2012 Olympic Committee commissioned me, so my mural theme was of the revitalization of downtown Dallas through the vision of bringing the Olympic games to the city, all presented on this incredible sculpture. I painted the sculpture inside a downtown storefront across from the DART Rail Station. In order to conjunct together the city and the games, I augmented the flying Pegasus sculpture by installing 6 neon rings, symbolizing the Olympic + Dallas synchronized vision.
Project Loop
Project Loop is a non-profit artistic supernova network of creative professionals set up for the purpose of enriching creativity, artistry, hard work and enterprise. I participated in a series of Skate Deck Gallery Shows and Auctions to help raise money for one of the project’s goals of building a state-of-the-art skate park in Taylor, Texas. The 50/50 Show series was a collection of artists from all disciplines creating one-of-a-kind skate decks that were put up for auction as the skate park fundraiser.
“My dear friend Brent Humphreys is one of the founders of this creative-mafia group Project Loop, based in Austin, Texas. I’m privileged to continue to work and support this wonderful cause, and enjoy the true artistic ventures it presents.”
TLP Heroes
The Heroes Project was an in-house rewards program for both the creative and account side of the agency. The idea was to create a large art piece that would be located at the center crossway epicenter of the agency, that would inspire. The agency wanted to reward employee individual and team achievement by giving the “Hero” cards with their names and recognition. The Hero cards were created as a set of 16 — each superhero themed in the type of achievements that were analogous to the advertising work environment. Each card was done as an individual comic book, extolling the greatness of its hero in action, “doing battle” inside its work arena, all done with tongue & cheek wit. The Installation piece was a large scale protagonist hero painted on canvas, framed with bold cut letter messaging affixed to the wall, and complete with nourish back lighting for effect. As cards were rewarded, a duplicate card would be attached to the wall. The idea was that the installation itself would continue to grow and change over time.
“Being a confessed comic book nerd growing up, this was a dream assignment.”
Awards
The idea of creating film festival awards from tactile elemental pieces and leftover artifacts was the juice that propelled me. Ironic, irreverent, and if done with enough sincerity, something warmly received. Such was the nostalgic junkyard symbiosis between art, film and its inhabitants. I used old film cans, sprockets, drive-in movie speakers, and even 16mm cameras. The award recipients were artists considered to be mavericks, trailblazers, and lifetime achievers, all equally gracious recipients.
“The biggest surprise from the creating these homemade awards built from the literal artifacts from the craft of filmmaking, is the absolute love and appreciation I received from the recipients.”
Speaker Awards
Throughout my work with the Deep Ellum Film Festival, each year I had the opportunity to create the festival awards for each year’s recipients. The idea started with a mutual nostalgic love for drive-in movie theaters that DEF2 founder Michael Cain and I both enjoyed as boys in the ‘70’s. I lived next to a drive-in and watched everything from Steve McQueen motorcycle epics to Zombie classics, all from the roof of my childhood home. When it was discovered that Michael had a small stash of old drive-in movie speakers on hand, a unique series of film festival awards were born. Each year an amazing young class of filmmakers would show their work, alongside industry trailblazers, in acting, directing, and producing film. I was honored to meet these artists, admire their work, and inspired to create one-of-a kind awards for their hard earned work.
“My first speaker award was created in a fever … a few hours, a bottle of wine, and sheer desperation. I found inspiration in Peter Beard’s ink smeared footprint, a painted drive-in movie speaker, and a passionate kiss shared between Sandra Bullock and Griffin Dunne.”
Multifarious
I consider multifarious projects to be those that are out of the norm, but often times the most enjoyable, or ones that made me grow as an artist in the process. These projects cross over from traditional illustration within various marketing realms, all the way to special gifts, and to gallery projects. A great many of them in some way included 3 dimensional construction or installation. From painted guitars, to detailed dioramas, 3D collage to painted munnies, each unique project teaches me something new.
