E16: Chris DeCoux - Upcycling, Intention, and Hard Reboots

Chris DeCoux

Nothing wants to suffer. All images are courtesy of the artist.

Chris DeCoux, the artist

My name is Chris DeCoux and I am a sculptor whose work explores the complexity of human identity and the darker side of consumerism and materialism. Through dark humor, playfulness, and artificial nature, I examine how nature and society can be manipulated to a point of transformation. My work tries to evoke an awareness of the instability of identities in a market driven world. By distilling this awareness into tangible physical forms, I try to address the human longing for stability and control in a rapidly changing and seemingly unpredictable world.

Hey hi Chris! I am thrilled to have this chance to share your story with the readers. Let's jump in-

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ChC - What do you love about making art?

CD- For me, art is about curiosity. It’s about exploration and problem solving. The outcome of a project may end up being light years away from the original concept I began with and in that way, it becomes a living thing. It has its own unexpected back story along with the scars from mistakes and growth just like me. Just like all of us. 

Unfulfilled Wishes

Which mediums do you like working with the most? What are some of the more unusual ones you've used?

CD- I have a deep love affair with garbage. At least what others consider to be garbage. Once, when I was 8 or 9, I found the dumpster in the trailer park that I grew up in, filled to the top with bowling trophies. While bowling held little interest to me, the hoard of metal, plastic and marble may as well have been gold. I scavenged whatever I could carry home on my bike and hid my treasure under the porch behind my home. As a kid with only a few participation trophies of my own to show, I could not believe that someone could throw away what seemed like a lifetime’s worth of achievements. At that young age, it called into question how I valued the objects around me and more importantly how other people valued them.

When I paint, I like to use left over house paint and saw dust along with my store-bought acrylics. When I’m sculpting, I’ll dig to the bottom of the scrap pile to find interesting pieces before I go to the steel yard. Plastic shopping bags, glass bottles, rusty bolts; it’s all up for grabs.

Most recently, I've been mixing reclaimed house paint with saw dust and drywall mud to make a thick paste. When applied to a rigid painting surface, it splits and cracks revealing layers underneath. 

What do you love about that?

CD- Working in found and reclaimed materials feels like having a secret that no one else has figured out. I think it speaks to the bargain hunter in me. Aside from the joy of rescuing something bound for a landfill, when I come across a unique object or material that sparks an idea, it feels like stumbling across a once in a lifetime bargain. 

Creature Comforts

How do you evaluate your work?

CD- When evaluating my work, I’m looking for a lack of intention. If the final piece looks exactly like it did in my head before I started, then I probably didn’t learn anything new. It’s hard for me to do, but by relinquishing control and staying in dialogue with the material, I can be surprised by the outcome. It’s rare that I am ever disappointed by those results. 

Where is your studio, and what is your primary work area?

CD- Since graduating, I primarily work from home. Larger projects in the garage and painting in a back bedroom. The hope was that if I could settle on a specific medium or artform, I could then begin looking for a studio space outside the house that best suits my needs, but realistically my practice is all over the place and right now, that’s fine by me. 

What clues or questions do you use to select an idea to invest time and resources?

CD- Ideas kind of come and go depending on my mood or what materials are at hand. Those don’t hold my interest for too long, and I may write them down to revisit later. Sometimes, though, an idea comes along that really sticks with me. I have little control over that decision making process and it feels more like a catchy tune that gets stuck in my head. I’ll roll it around for a while just playing with it until it becomes an itch that I have to scratch and that’s when the exploration begins. I’ll do research and sketch out ideas. Think about it before I go to sleep and talk about it with my wife. Then, when I’m ready to execute on that idea, I have built up an excitement for it that will carry me through to the end...hopefully.

AloneTogether

About your work: what do you hope people notice the most?

CD- I hope people view my work with the same curiosity I felt while making it. I don’t fully understand what I'm making all the time, so I don’t expect anyone to come away with a complete picture of my intentions. I think ambiguity is a wonderful tool for the artist. Not to be vague and aloof but, to leave some mystery to revisit over and over.

What is your favorite guilty pleasure? 😉

CD- Audio books. I love a good book (bad ones too), but I’ve never been able to sit still for extended periods of time to enjoy them. With audio books, my hands can stay busy all day.

I’m currently on a horror kick and have worked my way through half the Stephen King catalogue.

Honor Thy Mistakes

How do you define success as a creative? How do you hold yourself accountable?

CD- I’ll know if a piece is successful when I cannot pull myself away from it. I have to make a conscious decision to stop poking at it and let it be. Even then I will steal peeks at it before leaving for work or going to bed like somehow other hands created it and I’m trying to figure it out for myself. If I’m engaged with my own work at that level, then I know it’s a winner. 

When do you discuss things with your inner critic?

Always. Everyday. World without end. Amen. 😉

American Beauty

What advice do you have about throwing away work?

CD- Keep everything! You may rediscover something you have forgotten about and once considered a failure. Look at it with new eyes and that may lead you down a path you hadn't considered previously.

If it is an issue of storage space in the studio, at least take the time to document everything before disposing of it. I take pictures of all my finished work along with in-process photos and all the doodles along the way. Who knows how many ideas I’ve lost on the back of receipts or the margins of a notebook over the years? 

All your ideas have value and purpose, even the bad ones. Keeping them around to revisit can give you new inspirations or at the very least provide benchmarks to which you can measure your growth as an artist.

"As an artist and a maker, if I am not pushing myself and my work forward, then I am not learning." -- Chris

What would you tell other artists when they get frustrated with a project?

CD- When I feel stuck or painted into a corner, I have to give myself a hard reboot. I completely disengage with what I am stuck on and turn my attention to something unrelated. Sometimes it’s as easy as taking a couple of hours to cook a meal or take a walk. For the really stressful stuff, though, I have to walk away. I’ll give myself as much time as I can afford away from the project, trying to completely put it out of my mind. The idea is that when I return to it in a couple of days or weeks, I’ll see it from the outside, brand new. The flaws become less glaring; the strengths more apparent. I can then re-engage with the work as a series of problems to solve having let the emotions tied to those problems time to cool.

Gentlemen Choose Your Weapon

Who are your creative influences, and whose work are you admiring now?

CD- I have been working with local sculptor Russell Whiting as his assistant since graduating. It’s been energizing working alongside someone whose practice is vastly different from my own. Seeing how dedicated he is to his daily artistic practice and the speed at which he executes an idea has truly inspired me to set aside the mental roadblocks I create for myself and build my own creative routine. 

How can people follow you and your work?

CD- I share most of my work on Instagram for now and can be contacted through there: 

@gimcrack_creations

Frenchman's Creek

What would you like people to know that I haven't asked?

CD- For an exceedingly long time, I spent a lot of energy avoiding failure. Some things came easy to me and instead of seeking out the things that did not, I rested on my skillset. It was unfulfilling and even when I had some financial success, I had the feeling like something was missing. I still have difficulty getting out of my own way sometimes but can recognize it and find a way to move past it. As an artist and a maker, if I am not pushing myself and my work forward, then I am not learning.

I can't thank you enough for taking time out of your schedule to talk with me Chris. I'm cheering for you. Please come back whenever you have something to share with the ChC audience!

You'd Be Prettier If You Smiled More

Just Passing Through

Y1 E15 - Elizabeth Wickerham - Teaching, Fibers, and Sourdough

Elizabeth Wickerham

All images courtesy of the artist

My name is Elizabeth Wickerham. I have been teaching art for seventeen years. I have taught grades 5th-12th. I am currently a teacher at New Lothrop Junior/Senior High School. I live in Flushing Michigan with my husband, two children, and lots of creatures. I have been making art since I could remember and I have always wanted to be a teacher so I combined my two passions. I have worked with so many mediums and I love clay, but more recently I have been working with fibers. More specifically needle punch. 

Hi Elizabeth - it's so great to have you here to talk with me/us. Let's jump in.

What do you love about making art?

Elizabeth Wickerham

My why has always been the satisfaction of making something with your hands. I think this has become so much more important than ever before. I have found that students struggle now more than ever with using their hands to create. Time spent on screens has really impacted their willingness to create. Instant gratification and the frustration at failing keep them from enjoying art. Once they get past these things, watching them love art like I do is another reason. That sense of accomplishment and pride are so important!! 

Where do you create?

I mostly work at home. I do love working with my students and when I have an advanced group I love working along with them. Working with others who love creating as much as I do is the most rewarding. 

How do you decide what to create?

When I invest time and money into a new project I like it to serve a purpose. Most everything I create has a place in my home or is created as a gift. I have really found joy in decorating and I often create chair pads, pillows, wall hangings, purses, rugs, and decorate around my creations. 

Do you have any advice for creators getting frustrated and throwing work away

Ok, because I work with young artists I figured this would be a good question to answer. Frustrations can be tough. Working through them makes the feeling of success even greater. Mistakes can lead you in directions that often can make your work even better. I love the end product of art but it’s really about the process. I have a difficult time watching my students throw things away, but it’s ok! I do too! With my students I tell them to at least share it with their parents first and in some cases I have them keep it to recreate it! Throwing something away is ok!

What are you working on currently?

Currently I am really into this sourdough fad! It’s so fun and I love how creative you can be! Kneading the dough is a lot like wedging clay. Mixing different flavors and cutting ingredients, scoring the top, the proofing and the baking process! Even feeding the starter everyday is very fulfilling. I have found so much enjoyment from exploring all of the different things that can be made. Watching my family and friends enjoy something I have created is the best!! I have even been selling it a bit! I can’t wait to try banana walnut muffins later this week!!

Elizabeth - thank you so much for sharing your story with me/us. I need a snack. [LOL] This has been such fun. Best wishes for the school year!

Y1 E14: Jerry Smith - Hands, Prints, and Intersections

Jerry Smith

A Movable Feast -
All images are courtesy of the artist

Jerry Smith is a re-emerging artist who received his BFA in 1979 from Miami University with a concentration in painting and printmaking, and his MFA in 1981 from the University of Colorado focusing on painting and drawing. In addition to traditional mediums, Jerry’s early work consisted of life-sized, three-dimensional abstract figures made from torn and woven tar paper, paint, and roofing compounds on carved wood armatures.  After a 40-year career in nonprofit arts administration and fundraising, Jerry returned to working full-time as a visual artist in 2021 with a focus on figurative drawing and painting. More recently, he has re-engaged with his early interest in printmaking. Jerry draws on his lived experience with diverse performing and visual arts organizations and educational institutions to inform and heighten his creative work.  Jerry lives in Shaker Heights, OH with his wife Sue Starrett.

Hi Jerry Smith! I am thrilled to talk to you today. Let's jump in.

What do you love about making art? 

Jerry Smith

I'm an introvert; I love working alone. I love thinking visually, and I love working with my hands.  Sadly, I did not always prioritize my art, so there was a long period when I was not producing work of any importance. Since retiring  three years ago as a fundraiser for Case Western Reserve University, I’ve been focusing full-time (whatever that means) on painting, drawing, and printmaking. I’ve transitioned from making money to making art

Which mediums do you like working with the most? What are some of the more unusual ones you've used?

I think I am happiest with a big ol’ chunk of vine charcoal in my hand.  It may not be the most stable of mediums but it is deliciously fluid and expressive. It’s wonderful for exploring new ideas on paper. Beyond that, I enjoy mediums like oil or pastels that are fluid and easily manipulated.  Pen and ink?  Watercolor?  - not so much! The fastidious and process-oriented corner of my brain loves printmaking.

The most unusual material I have worked with is commercial roofing (tar) paper. I grabbed some scraps from a worksite dumpster in graduate school and then started buying it by the roll. I would tear, paint, and weave it over wooden armatures to create abstract figurative works. I keep one of those pieces at my studio door as an altar to the creative spirit. The throughline to my current exploration of fabrics and textures is apparent.

On your website, you call yourself a re-emerging artist. How different or the same does the art world feel to you now?

Oh golly, there was no World Wide Web in 1981. We moved at a slower pace. An artist visited studios, traveled to galleries, subscribed to magazines, and read books to follow the art world. Now, there are so many avenues to share your work and be exposed to other artists of interest. Spend an hour searching for artists who inspire you, and you’ll have a lifetime of images flooding your cellphone!  Perhaps it was the institutions where I studied, but no one taught me the “business of art.”  I am attempting to learn that on the fly now. 

Better Hand Made

How do you evaluate your work?

I suppose like many artists, I am my worst critic. I can see perfection with my mind’s eye but struggle to translate the idea to image.  It helps to get away from my work – put it in a drawer, turn the front to the wall or just leave the studio.  Sometimes I sneak a peek just before bed so I can ruminate on the work in my sleepless hours. Feedback from respected individuals is also important.  While I may not always agree with the assessment - positive or negative - it can break the loop in my brain and allow me to consider the work in a new light. Framing a piece or viewing it in a new environment is also instructive. 

Blue Dolly Dress

Where is your studio, and what is your primary work area?

I work primarily in the third-floor suite of our Shaker Heights home. Trust me, the space is getting ever smaller as my practice grows.  I long for more vertical wall space and room to work on multiple projects simultaneously.  But that said, the convenience of an in-home space has its advantages. I can spend long hours or grab short bursts of time to work.  I can take my cup of coffee or beer upstairs and just sit in the middle of the enviornment. I won’t talk about natural light.  We live in Cleveland; that changes by the hour!  And that’s why we have electricity. 

I also rent studio access at Zygote Press for printmaking.  It’s been a great way to encourage this introvert to meet and interact with other artists. I love the whole Zygote community including the staff, interns, visiting artists, and resident printmakers. 

What clues or questions do you use to select an idea to invest time and resources?

I am fully committed to exploring vintage children’s dresses and coats for a while longer. They are my haystacks and sunflowers.  They present endless and invigorating challenges for drawing, painting, and printmaking.  I hold the garments in my hands and I look for clues about how, by whom, and for whom they are made.  I look carefully for labels, seams, embellishments, or hand-sewn stitches. I find additional clues in the stains, the creases, and the deterioration of the fabric. Stories develop. The history of the garment and the life of the original owner (imagined or known) meld with my contemporary world in the resulting artwork. I am exploring ideas of identity, memory, loss, safety, comfort, and protection as I work through each piece.  New ideas flow from one to the other and are influenced by the people around me – and current events.  

About your work: what do you hope people notice the most?

I always want people to see the artist’s – Jerry’s” – hand.  I want them to notice what is unique about the work and what went into its creation.  I rarely work from memory or imagination. I want the subject in my view.  I sometimes use photography or other technologies to inform my work, but the end result is a response to what I am seeing that is created by my own hand and informed by all of my senses. Some marks are reflexive gestures, and others are meticulously crafted. My challenge is to find the balance. I hope that the work will evoke a visceral response that is informed by shared experiences of the artist and the viewer. That is success!  

Perilous Journey

What is your favorite guilty pleasure?

Oh, it’s probably bidding on vintage children’s dresses on Ebay.  It’s addictive.  Every time I buy something, there is a new item that appears that “I might like” (which I often do) or the seller offers me a deal (that I can’ refuse)! As new acquisitions fill my studio space, It looks  like I have turned the closet inside out.

How do you define success as a creative? How do you hold yourself accountable?

I am fortunate that I do not need to rely on my creative work to put a roof over my head or pay the bills. I do however want to maintain a professional practice as a creative, which means showing and selling my work. . Making art is not a retirement hobby, but a new career focus - one that I had imagined more than 40 years ago when I earned my MFA.  I am learning the business of art and building connections with individuals and institutions that can aid in that process.  Each year I set short and mid-range goals for my creative practice to measure success. Sadly, I am just too old for long-term goals!

"As a student of the 70’s the abstract expressionists – Willem DeKooning and Joan Mitchell in particular – were a major influence, but I also gravitated to figurative artists like Alice Neal, Eric Fischl, and Lucian Freud."    

When do you discuss things with your inner critic?

Oh that damned inner critic!  He never leaves me alone.  As my wife will confirm, I come out of the studio like Jekyl and Hyde.  I am either the most wonderfully inventive and creative artist of all time or a complete failure, depending on the day or the hour.  I talk to my critic constantly, but we have the really hard conversations just before I invest in framing costs or prepare for an exhibit. Sometimes I just tell him to shut up, and I move on. 

What advice do you have about throwing away work?

I try not to let my work become too precious in the making and to remain willing to erase or paint over even the really “good parts” if necessary or toss it aside. I would advise that artists not be too hasty to throw things away because looking back - even at the failures -  can be instructive. But there comes a time to “clean house.”  You need space in those flat files for new work, and you must ask yourself if you really want someone to find this when you are dead? Then it’s time to be brutal and head to the recycling center. 

What would you tell other artists when they get frustrated with a project?

Walk away if you can.  Do something else. Talk about the project with someone you trust. I am a big proponent of visual language standing on its own, but sometimes it helps to verbalize what you are thinking or trying to achieve.  Accept feedback, but only keep the advice that makes sense to you.

I've worked throughout my life with a number of performing art organizations. I remind myself that an actor, musician, or dancer has a specific and limited time as the curtain goes up and the house lights dim.  They rely on their training, preparation, and artistry to deliver their best performances. We visual artists have the luxury of time but then comes the moment when we need to put the work out there and start the next project. 

Refuge #3

Who are your creative influences, and whose work are you admiring now?

Perhaps no surprise that Jim Dine’s bathrobes are an inspiration for my work.  I had actually forgotten about these works until I was reminded, but I’m sure they were somewhere in the back of my mind when I started working on the dresses. As a student of the 70’s the abstract expressionists – Willem DeKooning and Joan Mitchell in particular – were a major influence, but I also gravitated to figurative artists like Alice Neal, Eric Fischl, and Lucian Freud.    

Here in Cleveland, I am a huge fan of Paula Damm for her amazingly inventive and topical works that incorporate a variety of crafts, of Leslie Discont Arian for her visceral and often wrenching abstractions, and of  Lisa M. Schonberg for her beautiful and evocative climate-focused prints and her generosity of spirit. 

How can people follow you and your work?

After several failed attempts on my own, I finally hired someone to create a website: 

jerry-smith-artist.com, and 

I am developing a presence on Instagram @jerrysmith.artist

What are you working on currently?

Much of my time in recent months has been spent in preparation for a three-week artist residency at the Morgan Conservatory in September. I have proposed making paper as a substrate for my printmaking, and we’ll see where that exploration takes me. I have been attending workshops with the talented staff at the Morgan to learn Western and Eastern papermaking techniques, as well as exploring techniques of pulp painting. In the studio, I’ve been sketching woodblock print designs for the paper I’ll be creating and carving a number of blocks, which I’ve been testing on a plethora of handmade papers to understand the unique properties of various fibers.   

In the meantime, I continue to make drawings, and I’m working on  my first stone lithograph in 45 years.  I love drawing on stone - now we’ll see if I can remaster the etching and printing process. I’ve totally neglected my oil paints, but have been hearing the siren call. 

What would you like people to know that I haven't asked?

Recently I have been thinking about the intersections of my life and art. I grew up in Paulding, Ohio, a rural community of about 3,300 people in Northwestern Ohio.  Residents were by and large self-sufficient. We gardened, we canned, we tended to home repairs, and we made things - clothing, quilts, and crafts. We walked to work, school, church, and the homes of friends and family. We looked in on our neighbors and were ready to lend a hand when needed.  I left that childhood home after completing an undergraduate degree and moved away - geographically, politically, and spiritually. Now I am using my artistic practice to explore this schism.

My father was a typesetter at a small print shop his entire career. When I don my denim apron or smell printer’s ink, I think of him, and I wish he were around so we could ”talk shop.”  He did not agree with all of my life choices, but he steadfastly supported my journey as an artist, and would be pleased to see where that journey has taken me.

My mother was a teacher and encouraged my love of art from an early age. She engaged me to help create decorations and projects for her kindergarten classroom, and she found private instruction to supplement my school’s minimal art education program. She was a seamstress, a quilter, and a baker.

At an early age I learned to work with my hands from both parents. They taught me how to build things, repair things, grow things, and make things.  When I am not making art you might find me elaborately decorating cookies, baking bread, growing vegetables, or exploring color and texture in our flower gardens. 

I have no biological children, but after the death of my first wife twenty-three years ago, I remarried and gained two remarkable stepsons who have since married and started families of their own. Through my four grandsons I am observing how we humans find our place in the world and watching how innate creativity can develop – or be squashed.  In my workshop, they challenge me to create the impossible while I attempt to demonstrate that there is no limit to their creativity.  We laugh, we argue, and we make crazy things.  And then I steal away with that joy and wonder to my studio. 

Sue's First Day

Thank you so much, Jerry Smith. As a fellow printmaker, I think we may need a field trip to the print studio. Please feel free to come back and update us on your adventures anytime.