Dana L. Depew is one of Cleveland’s most prolific artists. He resurrects thrown out cast offs and found objects into wholly new and unique objects.
Stephanie Sypsa: Describe your studio space?
Dana Depew: Very cluttered and scattered. Currently, since I closed the gallery I do not have a centralized studio. I do have a studio in my garage as well as a large space in the chemical factory where I work that I use to store objects.
SS: Your mother had antique store. Did that affect your work?
DD: I feel I acquired a deep admiration for antiques and old things at an early age. There is a certain character and unique quality to something that is aged and weathered as opposed to something that is new and refined.
SS: Has it been a blessing or curse? I ask this because I know installing some of your work can be like packing up house and moving into a new place, requiring a lot of hard work.
DD: I feel it has been both a blessing and a curse. When I was younger my mother would participate in antique shows that would initially require one to box up the items to transport, display them, and at the end of the day, box them up and place them back in storage. This is a similar process I follow when installing and deinstalling my large scale installations.
Also, it might have made me into a borderline hoarder. The work that I do requires that I collect and covet objects and reassemble them into wholly new works. This requires lots of storage and space to house these works. The “Exit Strategy” piece I exhibited at the Riffe Gallery last summer initially started as a conceptual work. I began collecting exit signs from abandoned buildings. This process took over two years to collect the materials for the finished piece. I have several “works in progress” that are in storage in my studio that is awaiting the acquisition of all the materials.
SS: I imagine you have inherited quite a few objects in your time. Have you ever heisted based on the value of the object to incorporate into an artwork?
DD: I once acquired a series of antique portrait paintings and they were very old – probably from the 1700’s and I am sure they were quite valuable. I created a series in which I collaged and glued smiley faces and eyes on them for an upcoming show. The whole point was that I attempted to take something that has extreme value and to place a humorous spin on it and I referred to it as “subtractive art”.
SS: Can you tell me about a favorite collection of found items, were did you get them and how did you end up using them in a work of art?
DD: I acquired a collection of antique ceramic bedpans in which I placed faux flowers into and I enclosed them into antique glass display cases and mounted them on the wall. The series was entitled “R. Mutt Under Glass” – it was my homage to Marcel Duchamp.
SS: Can we talk about the inspiration behind your the your Suessian Stoplight series? Where have these been installed outside a gallery setting?
DD: The “Suessian Stoplight” works are an ongoing series of vibrant illuminated chandeliers produced from reclaimed fiberglass water tanks that I obtained from a local factory that was discarding them. I began painting them in vibrant colors and began to add light fixtures to the forms. Originally, these objects were made to be exhibited indoors due to the materials used but I was invited to participate in a public art exhibition at the Krasl Art Center in St Joesph, Mi in June 2010. I produced three large scale free-standing outdoor pieces for the exhibit. It was challenging because the works need to be able to endure the elements.
SS: Can you give us an idea of what is involved in the upkeep of your art?
DD: I, for the most part exhibit the work and then it goes back into the studio and is stored until another exhibition opportunity arises. Sometimes work is absorbed into a new piece. I have been trying to place more effort in organizing my stored work but I have been very unsuccessful in that effort. I am comfortable in my disorganization and I feel that is reflected in the work.
SS: You have a vast body of work, painting and sculpture is there a specific theme or concept you keep in all of your work or does it change from each body?
DD: I am very enthralled with the idea of making art out of anything and everything around me. The obvious connection in all the work is the usage of found objects. I would rather reuse a discarded object than buy something new – for example, the chenille paintings are fabrics acquired from thrift stores or estate sales and I stretch these items over discarded doors and storm windows that were thrown out, the paint I use are house paints given to me from friends or calls I put would out on craigslist or facebook. I do not want to limit myself to one discipline in art, I feel they are all interconnected to some degree and as an artist it would be to my benefit to work in all fields.
SS: What have you been doing in painting? I viewed your large scale work in progress, what is work about?
DD: In May 2011, I will be exhibiting a new painting in the inaugural exhibition of a new gallery in Cleveland along with painter Matthew Dibble. I am in the process of producing a large scale painting that will be 40’ wide and 6’ high that is based on a series of ink drawings I produced over the summer. It is coming along. Originally, I envisioned it being 50’ but the gallery wall could not accommodate that size.
SS: Can you tell us your biggest influences in art and how they have affected your work? Are there any current artists who you really admire?
DD:Duchamp for the conceptual aspect, Robert Raushenberg really opened my eyes, he was able to view found objects in wholly different light, and now I really admire the work of Tim Hawkinson, and I think what ties them all together is that they were all very prolific and dabbled in all fields of painting and sculpture.
SS: There is a significant amount of work that incorporates recycled or found objects. What is the key to successfully incorporating found objects and where do some fall short?
DD: Ideally, the objects that I utilize need to have some unique characteristic on their own and when they are combined together in some manner they create a wholly new charged work. That is why antiqued objects are a perfect medium; they already have a curiosity to them.
SS: You ran your own gallery for a time, can you tell us a bit about it?
DD: I opened Asterisk Gallery in 2001 as an exhibition space for regional emerging and established artists. I wanted a space that concentrated of creating an experience as opposed to generating sales. Much of the exhibitions focused on installations and the space was very well received. Unfortunately, I decided in Nov 2011 to close the gallery due to increased rents and the fact that I wanted to focus my energies toward my own work.
SS: What are the pros and cons in running a gallery?
DD: The pros are too numerous to list. I think being a gallerist has really benefited my individual art career. You realize how work is hung, how shows are produced, etc. I created and fostered deep relationships and friendships with a vast number of artists.
The cons – when one goes to an exhibit, one does not realize what goes into putting on an exhibit, the planning of the placement of the work, the amount of time and effort in prep work, working with artists and making sure that they have their statements, label info, etc and after ten years of mounting a monthly exhibit and working in a chemical factory during the day, it became very taxing. I began to realize that it was taking valuable time away from concentrating on my own work.
SS: How did you discover work to exhibit in the gallery?
DD: I would keep a folder of submissions and review it regularly. I also would reach out to artists that I have seen in exhibits locally at other galleries and their work I felt would be a good fit to my mission at Asterisk. I also would have a group of artists in mind that I feel could produce some engaging work. I tried to get as many regional artists involved as possible. Alot of the exhibits were experiments or installation based, so a lot of times I didn’t know what the end result would be until the night of the opening.
SS: As an artist, what has been your greatest resource?
DD: My curiosity.
SS: How would you describe the art scene in Cleveland?
DD: Cleveland has a very rich and diverse art scene. I feel due to the harsh winters, the continued failure of our sports teams, and our bleak outlook on life, it has had a direct impact on our mental well-being. This makes great fodder and subject matter to produce some wonderful art. I think to be a successful artist you have to suffer a bit and if that is the case there are going to be some very successful artists from Cleveland.
SS: Are you a part of any artists groups or organizations that have been beneficial (to your work in general or career as an artist)?
“Sacrebleu! – Dibble and Depew” inaugural exhibition at the Loren Naji Studio Gallery, 2138 W. 25th St., Cleveland, Ohio 44113
I am on the board of SPACES – which is a very contemporary experimental concept based gallery, in the grand scope of current art trends I feel there is something very special going on at SPACES. http://www.spacesgallery.org
Zygote Press – is a local printmaking co-op that has exhibitions – I will be participating in a show in early summer http://zygotepress.com
This artical was originally written and published for The Artists Interview Magazine. www.theartistsinterview.com