Shawn Cox is an Art of Austin artist! Read his interview to get to know more about the him and his work.
Shawn Cox
AoA – How long have you been an Austin based artist and how did you find your way here?
Shawn – My wife and I moved to Austin from Houston about 14 years ago right after we got married. We thought Austin would be a great place to start our family. Although I grew up ranching, then practiced architecture and was a corporate attorney for over 25 years, I’ve overtly and covertly created my whole life in one way or another. About 5 years ago, our life situations created the catalyst to allow for an art career to grow.
AoA – When did you realize that you were an artist?
Shawn – I was a maker of things long before I considered myself an artist. I grew up in rural west Texas outside of Monahans. Living remotely and in the day before Amazon, we made and repurposed so many things as a necessity. My parents both supported this way of living. We made things instead of buying things. I was particularly gifted at making things that both function and that were visually appealing. This led to an interest in art, the methods of making/crafting and creating solutions with what was available as well as documenting ideas and potential solutions. I think I realized I could be an artist the first time someone offered to buy one of my drawings from school. I think I realized that I am an artist when my daughter told another parent about 6 years ago that’s what I did.
AoA – Can you speak to your art training?
Shawn – My undergraduate degree is in Architecture and I used my electives to complete the studio art curriculum at Texas Tech. During this time I was mostly working in clay, but I also explored a wide variety of mediums. I was like a kid in a candy store trying all the flavors. These medium found their way in clever architectural presentations. I returned to Tech to complete my Law degree and also escaped to take a few art classes as well. While working as an attorney in Houston, I took numerous night classes at Glassell with a focus on painting and began entering juried competitions from time to time. After moving to Austin, I took workshops with local artists and classes at Laguna Gloria. I take workshops when I can and love to have studio visits with other arts and regularly go to galleries, exhibitions and fairs.
AoA – Where do you find inspiration?
Shawn – I find inspiration is tied to and unlocked through the process of actually making art, when struggling or figuring out how to create what I thought about right before I go to sleep at night. My visual language is drawn from my understanding of the past as I look toward and attempt to apply this vision toward the future. Inspirational ideas often come from little fragments of songs, dialogue, or while reading magazines or books. I am visually voracious and a collector of scraps and trinkets.
AoA – What is your work concerned with?
Shawn – My work has been described as playful, decorative and joyful. There is also a level of irony and subversiveness within the creations if one wishes to see the same. I’m drawn to fragmented figurative reference as well as the unexpected interplay of layers, color and pattern. I’m fascinated with cultural constructions, social stereotypes and collective cultural mythology. I use or misuse iconography to convey or inspire narratives in the paintings and digital work. The folded paper creates an opportunity to transform the written composition and the medium itself into a visual composition.
AoA – What are your preferred medium(s)?
Shawn – I am constantly searching for a better way to create/manifest an idea in the physical world. I am drawn to experiment and try new things. There is something compelling about texture and the act of making and fabricating. I find joy folding and manipulating vintage paper, and how paint flows off a brush in a line onto fabric or canvas. The abstract cleanliness of digital work is new and exciting for me, though I do find myself incorporating scans of traditional collage in digital works.
AoA – Can you talk a little about your creative processes?
Shawn – I am messy. I have a lot of things going at any given time. Most of my work starts as a written narrative, stream of conscious exploration in text. From there, long collected images, fragments and scaps become the starting points. New work usually evolves from existing ongoing series of work. Fragments of abandoned projects often end up being incorporated in new ways.
AoA – Do you have any feelings towards Digital Art versus traditional mediums?
Shawn – I’ve most recently incorporated almost purely digital collages into my practice. The “getting it out” of the computer has been one of the most challenging parts of the process. The learning curve for digital art is varied for me. Sometimes the digital process of creating ork may actually take longer than the old-fashioned cut and paste version. I often find myself relying on older tech to create work combined with digital means.
AoA – Who are some artists that you look to?
Shawn – I’m a maximalist when it comes to influences and artists I look up to and enjoy. I believe that we can learn from everyone we encounter in one way or another. The local scene here in Austin is filled with amazing artist, creative expressions and diverse insights. The digital world has opened this opportunity for influence to amazing levels. I’m also inspired by the business and marketing skills of artists, galleries and digital creators.
AoA – If you could own one piece from a living artist, who would it be?
Shawn – This is a tough one, but I get lost in the work of Zoey Frank. She absolutely amazes me.
AoA – Big question. What do you feel the role of art is in the world?
Shawn – Art’s role is to engage and reflect on that which is, what was and what can be. We create a tangible representation of our own unique understanding and perception of reality. I feel the visual artist’s role is to use mastery of his or her craft as a catalyst to communicate and share this.
AoA – What else do you enjoy besides making art?
Shawn – Art has grown into a business for me. Nevertheless, I’m a full-time dad and a part-time attorney as well. I enjoy travel, remodeling and renovating projects. I”m excited to get back to experiencing theatre, food and the arts socially.
AoA – Where can we find your work? Do you have any shows planned for the future?
Shawn – My largest collection is currently on display at the Doughterty Art Center. The exhibition is entitled “Westward, Faux!” The show runs through November 27.
My next show is scheduled for January 6, 2022 at Davis Gallery and I’m back at Commerce Gallery in May of 2020. I”m represented by Davis Gallery here in Austin, Commerce Gallery in Lockhart and Horizon Fine Art in Jackson Hole, WY. I work with many art advisors and have work available directly from me at bshawncox.com, during studio tours or through instagram.
AoA – Any final advice for all the artists reading out there?
Shawn – The best piece of advice that I have received is to make (or at least attempt to make) the work you want to see in the world. Incremental goals (baby steps) lead to big change. With each piece created, have one small, defined and incremental goal outside of making the piece. Finally, an artist has to make work to be an artist, talking/critiquing/complaining/pontificating about art may or may not inspire but an artist has to actually produce art to be an artist.
Connect with Shawn!