Cowboy Bumblebee

David Sockrider, a traveling artist currently residing in Ward, doesn’t need a lot of space to work. His studio is well-windowed, providing sightlines to the natural splendor of the trees sleeved in snow. His simple wooden desk sits in front of one of these windows, the back of the desk fortified with tubes of paint, plastic cups full of brushes, and lamps angled from the desk corners to provide light and perspective.

The notion of following the art came about a lot in my conversation with Sockrider who, for reasons beyond him, found himself on a path tread by Georgia O’Keeffe, who herself was a traveling painter who steered away from pretentious living.

How One Story Ended

Sockrider at his studio in Ward

Much of Sockrider’s story navigates the waters within the popular adage, “Adversity is opportunity.” Before the infamous worldwide reset that was Covid in 2020, Sockrider was an art designer for an independent game company in Boulder, Colorado. This gaming company attempted to make tabletop and trading card games whose aim was to take on juggernauts of the industry like Magic: The Gathering. As one might expect, the venture didn’t last too long.

“Covid happened and that kind of put us out of business,” Sockrider said. “I had a room open up at Taos ski resort, and I’m a snowboarder. And the rent is about half of what it is here, so this is a no-brainer. You know? I can go anywhere I want. If I can go to a ski resort and cut my rent in half that’s a win-win to me.”

With his path set, Sockrider packed up his van and headed for the Southwest, living out the philosophy of a Jack Kerouac poem by using his will as a guiding light. As long as he follows his love of painting as an expression of his own freedom and still make money, Sockrider is “living the dream.”

Red Rocks Primitive

Forgotten Details of the Artist’s Dream

An untold detail of the artist’s dream is the number of different odd jobs they have to work in order to keep the paint cans full.Keith Haring, an American pop artist, worked as a busboy in a New York City nightclub. Abstract painter, Marc Rothko, supplemented his income by teaching sculpting and painting classes in Brooklyn.

Sockrider’s path would often take similar turns. Sockrider took to working in a hot springs spot in Arizona, painting murals in a ranch house. Another turn had him staying in a Methodist Church painting murals on crosswalks. It’s not for want of the odd job, however, Sockrider attempted to get a regular nine-to-five, but they weren’t calling back.

“I was trying to get jobs at a convenience store. I tried to get a job at the hardware store. I tried to get a job at the art store, and I couldn’t get a job!” Sockrider said.

A Haven in Taos

Wolf Maiden

Sockrider found himself in the artist collective in Taos. The collective has roots dating all the way back to the early 1900s when two artists from New York discovered their love for the southwestern landscape. These two artists seeded the idea that would become the Taos Society of Artists in 1915.

The foundation established by this collective grew in infamy, known throughout the states as a place where an artist can get a chance to make a living. Sockrider found himself within the collective while he lived down there, traipsing across the land in the fashion of a traveling artist.

“I did a lot of camping. I lived in a yurt on the edge of a mesa for a year and a half.” The yurt also served as an art studio.

While the collective in Taos lived up to its reputation of being a haven for artists. Sockrider found it difficult to make friends during his time there due to the stress that Covid placed on society at that time. Most of the aspects of living in the southwest, like going to visit pueblos and seeing indigenous living firsthand, were all closed off due to the pandemic.

“I didn’t get a chance to see any of the [Pueblos] because they were closed.” He would go on to discuss the isolation. “There’s up to 60 artists there, but I didn’t know anybody. I ended up getting a dog. I did well in Taos, but I craved coming back to Colorado.”

Backyard Jam

The O’Keeffe Trail

During the conversation with Sockrider, we discovered we both had a connection with Georgia O’Keeffe. I had spent many summers in Abiquiu, New Mexico on the Ghost Ranch near her estate. Something that struck close to home with Sockrider since before he headed out to Taos from Ward, he revealed that she has a connection with both places.

“There’s a painting she did of a church here. And, when I was in Taos, I ended up working next to the famous San Francisco De Asis that she painted, and I was like, ‘I’m on the Georgia O’Keeffe trail.’”

Mother Nature

The painting Sockrider referenced from Ward is Church Bell, a painting from O’Keeffe’s personal collection that depicts Ward Church as it was in 1917, when she traveled there with her sister. The church still stands and serves as a community center.

The painting O’Keeffe did in Taos, however, was San Francisco de Asís Catholic Mission Church in Taos on Ranchos de Taos. And, while Sockrider attributes Vincent Van Gogh and Jackson Pollock as major influences in his work—the Van Gogh influence most evident in his painting “Paddleboarders Frisco Colorado” with “Groundation” and “Galactic” showcasing the influence of Pollock—one can’t help but notice the O’Keeffe influence his use of colors in a landscape painting like “Taos Coyotes Sunrise” that shares a lot in common with how she saw the southwestern desert.

In a letter penned to artists Arthur Dove in 1942, O’Keeffe wrote about the landscape of the Southwest:

“I wish you could see what I see out the window—the earth pink and yellow cliffs to the north—the full pale moon about to go down in an early morning lavender sky . . . pink and purple hills in front and the scrubby fine dull green cedars—and a feeling of much space—It is a very beautiful world.”

The Uzumaki Swirl

Wild Nights

The spiral is a recurring shape in Sockrider’s work. As an image, the spiral embodies a nearly primordial power, as it is amongst the oldest geometric shapes discovered within historical artifacts that predate even the roots of many modern religions. One of the more interesting aspects of the shape is, while it can suggest both great power and movement, it is also neutral in nature, meaning it can be viewed as a positive or negative force depending on one’s perspective. An article from Comic Book Resources covers how the Japanese interpret one end of the spiral with their analysis of the shape also referred to as “Uzumaki” or Uzumaki swirl. According to CBR, from a lecture at Heidelberg University in 2014:

“The Uzumaki swirl was commonly used on pottery and to engrave caves and in or at least around graves in the Jomon, prehistoric era of Japan. Its meaning has not been uncovered, and the symbol itself drastically changed in use as Japan’s religion changed from Shintoism to Buddhism sometime within the 10th century.”

The focus of the article is on how horror manga-ka, Junji Ito whose work of the same name, “Uzumaki,” brought the shape of the spiral into subculture just outside of the mainstream by emphasizing the darker angles of interpretation. The story is set in a town that is under a curse that leaves all its people tormented by the sight of Uzumaki swirls with many driven insane. The interpretation is almost a play on words as the characters follow the shape and “spiral” into madness. As Ito took the spiral in a negative direction, Sockrider respects the power in the brighter interpretation of the shape.

“Even before I even went to Taos. It was the Van Gogh influence, you know. As a designer, we study basic shapes: circles, squares, triangles, and spirals. But, spirals are a good representation for growth.”

Sockrider is particularly invested in ideas pertaining to the cycles of “rebirth,” giving inspiration to Sockrider’s goddess and maidens series: “I have the goddess of marijuana. I have a summer maiden. I have a wolf maiden. I have mother nature.”

For many indigenous cultures, the spiral marked their migration as they searched for their homes.  The spiral suggests movement, called the eye to trace a path. Poetic then that this shape is a favorite of Sockrider’s. The spiral is a calling card, allowing him to leave his mark as he passes along his travels.

A.I. – Something All Its Own

Coffee Owl

Considering that Sockrider’s sole avenue for income is painting, one might be surprised to find out that he doesn’t consider AI much of a threat.

“With AI imagery now, that’s not what we do. We paint pictures. I have this discussion with my artist friends because a lot of artists freak out. You can just text-prompt up anything you want. And, I’ve tried it. It definitely has limits, and it’s never going to produce exactly what I want. You don’t have an original painting. It’s all ones and zeros in there.”

To Sockrider’s point, Sora OpenAI sent a brief but powerful shock through the zeitgeist, this past February with its mind-bending ability to use assets to create short videos that have the appearance of something created with a team of people behind a camera. Yet, these images can be created using simple keystrokes.

However, even considering the initial impact, the weaknesses in graphics became apparent. There is also the fact that all of these images are created from existing assets. So far, AI can only produce a flawed recreation of something that already exists which, as Sockrider pointed out, is not what artists do.

From Ward to Taos and Back Again

Who Are You

One of the first signs you’ll see when flying into Albuquerque, New Mexico reads “Land of Enchantment.” It is as kitsch as any other slogan; however, almost anyone who has experienced the area noted that there is an intangible truth to the statement. The Ghost Ranch is just that. The artist collective in Taos is just that. It’s the turquoise-red-yellow dirt of the desert. It’s burros chewing cud, cabins with adobe walls, and pueblos with feast days where they dance until it rains.

O’Keeffe was drawn to land hidden behind a wall of mountains because of its natural beauty — the ranch is mud, and dirt, and snakes, and tumbleweeds all recluse from the modern world. This lack of pretension is another aspect of O’Keeffe’s path that calls to Sockrider:

“I’ve been a web developer for twenty-five years. I was creating websites down in Taos for high-end galleries. But, when it comes down to it, I really want [to] spend my day painting. And if that can pay the bills. I just want to live comfortably and do what I want. This is the path I’ve taken. And, if it requires me living out of a vehicle and doing the best I can, you know, I’m going to learn along the way and try and figure it out.”

Sockrider’s statement lends itself to the poem “For the Traveler” by John Donahue, that listening to silence, along a  “journey can become a sacred thing.”

Sockrider invites you to come out and support his artist dream by attending a showing of his work at Purple Haze in Denver at 15th and Curtis, starting July 5, 2024. Prints of his work can be found at Kind Mountain Collective in Idaho Springs, One Brown Mouse in Ned, and, of course, at Purple Haze, 15th and Curtis, Denver.

Bear Pond

The post The Artists: A Trail Across Oil-slicked Rainbows appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Featured mural “Can Women Do A.I?” by A.L. Grime.

Last year Yellow Scene Magazine focused on the many local towns we cover, the ones that have grown from coal mines, farms, and an early university to a thriving hub of arts, outdoor activities, and suburbs via our People’s History series. We turn our gaze in 2024 to the many artists throughout the community who are inspired by the landscape, the culture, and the receptiveness of the people who live here. YS will explore the intersection of art and artificial intelligence, the roles art plays in representation and storytelling, as well as influences and mediums. To kick off our series we present Street Wise Arts and the various artists who make these murals a reality.

Over 130 murals have transformed Boulder and the surrounding area

Representation and Community

“Our mural festivals are geared around art and activism. So highlighting community, social justice, diversity, all kinds of different platforms and also prioritizing representation of diverse artists in the public realm,” Leah Brenner-Clack, executive director of Street Wise Arts, shared. The power of representation has never been more important. In the era of divisive politics and hateful rhetoric, seeing yourself in a beautifully crafted, meaningful art piece can be a silently inspiring sign.

Street Wise Art for YS Magazine 2024 Cover Series: The Artists. Mural “Can Women Do A.I?” by A.L. Grime. Photography by Dustin Doskocil

Murals are what the organization specializes in, and the power of democratizing public art was not lost during our conversation. “You reach people that don’t go to galleries or you know, don’t have access to art and other ways … it doesn’t discriminate, everybody can experience it,” Brenner Clack said.

“There’s a whole different atmosphere. You put work in the gallery people can’t necessarily touch it,” the duo of Aiko Szymczak and Corinne Trujillo, known as Koco Collab, shared. “Sometimes you feel like you’re on display, it’s like anxiety central, [but with] the public, you’re out in the open. It feels more authentic, and people are just stoked you’re out there painting on the street.”

“Public-facing art has always been like a really important tool to either tell history or educate the public or to persuade the public,” Grow Love told us. “Maybe somebody who wouldn’t be interested in going into a gallery has an opportunity to have that interaction.”

There is no gatekeeper, and no cost associated with viewing a mural. They provide an experience completely devoid of a gallery. Viewers are typically not surrounded by critics or others in the art world while taking in the messages and stories conveyed on buildings. Murals place art in its context and help decorate a neighborhood rather than a private home or collection. They provide a sense of place.

Public art also allows visible representation. Street Wise Arts focuses on providing spaces for the voices of women, indigenous, Chicano, and various other communities. “People get to see themselves in a mural that they’re not expecting, or they’re no used to, in a pretty white, upper-class city like this,” Brenner Clack noted.

Street Wise Art for YS Magazine 2024 Cover Series: The Artists. “Can Women Do A.I?” by A.L. Grime. Photography by Dustin Doskocil

Public art can encourage the use of public space

“I’m trying to tell the story of that place,” Grow Love shared, “I utilize endangered plants or threatened species so that we have an opportunity to do something that falls on the viewer’s eyes that could be considered educational.”

Art can be interpreted in many different manners. What may be an extremely personal piece to one person may be representative of something else entirely to someone else. “The mural that we painted for Street Wise is my brother … He passed away from a fentanyl overdose a year and a half ago to about two years ago. We really wanted to bring like awareness to the Boulder community,” Szymczak opened up.

Brenner Clack expanded on the role public art plays in shaping a space. “I really see public art as the personality of a city … I always love to look for public art when I’m visiting somewhere.” Public art can encourage the use of public space, which in turn helps foster a sense of community and break down barriers of isolation and misunderstanding.

There is power in proclaiming space in a public setting. It lays claim to existing, it tells a story without words, it can soften and beautify a space and encourage community interaction and introspection. In a way, murals develop a cultural dialogue at a time when one is so desperately needed. They can foster a conversation without forcing one. They can make someone feel a little more at home. They can help educate a complacent or unaware person.

Street Wise Art for YS Magazine 2024 Cover Series: The Artists. “Can Women Do A.I?” by A.L. Grime. Photography by Dustin Doskocil

Artificial intelligence

For better or worse artificial intelligence is impacting the artist community in dramatic ways, maybe more visibly so than other industries at the moment. Artists across the board must grapple with the emerging technologies that can replicate, or at least imitate, human artistic creations that would normally take an inhuman amount of time.

Artists will be some of the first to directly incorporate the new technologies and determine how they will be used. Opinions range from full rejection of the technology to embracing it as just one more tool in the hands of the creators.

“We have a lot of friends and peers, where it’s directly competing with them and a lot of ways, especially photographers and graphic designers. So it’s tricky because it’s not going away,” Koco Collab said.

“A lot of artists are seeing it as a tool and learn how to use it in a way that helps them in a generative process in their practice. So it seems like it’s split, just like any other thing out there as far as what people’s opinions are about it,” Brenner Clack shared.

The actual creation of a mural will still need to be done by a human hand for the foreseeable future, but generating ideas for the layout, look, and design can all be assisted by A.I. In fact, A.I. can revolutionize pieces like murals, statues, and other physical surfaces in brand-new ways.

“In our mural festival we’ve done augmented reality layers,” Brenner Clark shared. “Augmented reality can add that whole extra layer depending on what the artist wants to use it for, it can be a video, it can be an animation, it can be sound, it can be whatever it is that they envisioned, they want the viewer to take from it.”

Street Wise Art for YS Magazine 2024 Cover Series: The Artists. “Can Women Do A.I?” by A.L. Grime. Photography by Dustin Doskocil

“I think I do think it’s a really powerful tool. And I think it’s a really interesting tool that I’m excited about. There needs to be oversight or ethical, you know, parameters for it getting in the hands of people that want to exploit [it].”

Not everyone sees it as a threat or even revolutionary necessarily. “I think it’s super cool. I don’t really have an opinion about it except that these kinds of things come and go. Nothing can really take away from the artist’s hand,” Grow Love said.

A.I. itself is often built off of stolen intellectual and artistic property to train the program, which will need to be resolved in the legal realm. “I feel bad for the artists who have a lot of work on the internet and they feel like they’re being ripped off right now,” Koco Collab said.

“It’s a weird time to be alive. Like we’re making these rules up as we go,” Koco Collab stated. Artists will be the first to work out the implications of new technologies but they will not be the last. Nearly every industry stands to be impacted in some way or another. As for street  art, Koco Collab shared that “AI hasn’t learned how to paint murals efficiently.”  

Artists will be the first to work out the implications of new technologies but they will not be the last.

Mural Tours

Street Wise Arts

Street Wise Arts offers tours of their work across the county. Guided tours are available for walking or biking. Be prepared to enter new worlds as A.I. and murals collide in the augmented reality segments. Donations between $10-50 are encouraged for the tours. 

Street Wise Arts Tours

Babe Wall

Defining a “Babe” as “a person(s) or group of people on an enlightened path, unidentified by gender, that empower and inspire each other by the community they are a part of, surrounding a particular craft or common interest,” Babe Wall is a non-profit that supports and uplifts women and non-binary artists. They create a space for artists to freely exist. Offering gallery shows and art tours.

Babe Wall Tours

Denver Walking Tours

Make your way over to Denver for the public art walking tour. Not just murals but statues and other forms of public art, can be seen along the way. Funded by 1% of capitol investments across the city, this program allows beautification and art appreciation for any major new project. Check out their website for stops along the tour.

Denver Walking Tours

Art Walk Longmont

A huge twice-yearly event, anyone who loves public art and outdoor spaces needs to attend. Including places to eat and drink, families can make a whole day out of the event and leave feeling inspired and connected to the community. 

Artwalk Longmont

The post The Artists: Street Wise Arts appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.