Doing Public Art His Own Way: Aaron T Stephan
Episode 44
Anastasia Parmson, Aaron T Stephan
6/17/20262 min read
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Aaron T Stephan is a sculptor and public artist who is so interested in process and materials, he builds and installs nearly every project himself. His permanent installations can be found all over the USA and he has also created numberous gallery installations and performative events. His work has been acquired by institutions like Portland Museum of Art, John Michael Kohler Arts Center and Farnsworth Art Museum.
This conversation is candid, funny and full of hard-won insight. Aaron grew up on a self-sustaining hippie farm in rural Maine where self reliance, making and fixing things was expected. That relationship with objects, materials and technique has never left him and sits at the core of everything he makes.
What we cover:
• Proposing projects you have no idea how to execute and teaching yourself new fabrication techniques on the fly
• Performative works where he builds structures around audiences mid-dinner or installs work as a live performance on-site
• Navigating job sites where artists have essentially no power and the only leverage you have is that they want you to leave
• What it actually takes to work at public scale and establishing a practice that lets you fail before you're locked in
• Why the projects that nearly break you are always the best ones
• Advice to artists who are intrigued by public art
Aaron T Stephan lives and works in Portland, Maine. You can see his permanent installations across the US, for example Woven Lines at City of Altoona, IA, Paths Rising at Tampa International Airport, Point of View at Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City and more.
More information on his website: https://aarontstephan.com and his Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aarontstephan/
Watch Aaron’s TED talk performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=697QUP6iYw8
05:23 Childhood And Making
08:14 Art School And Wandering
09:46 How He Got Into Big Installations
11:12 Guardrail Knot Story
13:35 Torture And Magic
18:01 Building It Yourself
19:45 Funding Realities
24:48 Building Site Chaos
29:30 Hiring An Actor To Play Him At Openings
33:57 Public Art Hard Truths
38:59 Concrete Block Vortex Idea
47:13 Advice To Artists
Also mentioned in this episode:
Tampa International Airport: https://www.tampaairport.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/flyTPA | @FlyTPA
San Diego International Airport: https://www.san.org | https://www.instagram.com/sandiegoairport/
Texas Tech University: https://www.ttu.edu | https://www.instagram.com/texastech/
La Croix: https://www.lacroixwater.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/lacroixwater/
The Art Angle: https://news.artnet.com/multimedia/the-art-angle | https://www.instagram.com/artnet | @artnet
Purchase College: https://www.purchase.edu/ | https://www.instagram.com/purchasecollege/ | @PurchaseCollege
SUNY New Paltz: https://www.newpaltz.edu/ | https://www.instagram.com/sunynewpaltz | @sunynewpaltz
TEDxDirigo: https://www.tedxdirigo.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/tedxdirigo/
https://www.ted.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/ted | @TED
Maurizio Cattelan: https://www.perrotin.com/en/artists/maurizio-cattelan | https://www.instagram.com/mauriziocattelan/
Sears, Roebuck & Co: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sears
Matthew Mazzotta: https://www.matthewmazzotta.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/matthewmazzotta/
