Portland artist Souther Salazar recently completed an exceptional sculpture commission, Always Prepared.
Always Prepared by Souther Salazar is an assemblage, mixed-media installation, featuring 14 objects made up of found material and constructed over the past 5 years. Souther originally started this piece in Los Angeles, and later completed in Portland, at his new studio.
Souther is an inspiration and was originally introduced by the Clayton Brothers while attending Art Center. Through the years, I’ve had the honor to work with many Art Center graduates including: Rob and Christian Clayton, Mark Ryden, Joel Nakamura, Jeff Soto, Mark Todd, Esther Pearl Watson, Martha Rich, and many more.
Always Prepared by Souther Salazar is an important artist commission originally initiated a few years ago. The commission was an opportunity for Souther to creatively travel where he wanted the work to go, create when he felt most inspired, and add to pieces along the way.
In celebration of Souther Salazar’s monumental accomplishment, I caught up with him and proudly share the following interview:
Mark Murphy : Always Prepared features your love for found, repurposed and reimagined materials gathered over time. Please share a little about the discovery process while gathering materials to create sculpture:
Souther Salazar : Gathering materials is my favorite part of the process. It makes me think of wandering around as a kid and picking up little interesting things I’d find. It makes me think of being with my parents while growing up, and getting up early to go to flea markets and garage sales. They hunted for stuff for their antique store and their own collections. I would dig around for my favorite things too. There’s something about picking objects up and turning them over in your hands, and feel that sort of faint spark of an untold story from another person or time.
Mark Murphy : Always Prepared reveals a new character, Higgins, and in compliment, found in some of your past works. When you approach your sculptural work is there a shared narrative that unites your featured subjects?
Souther Salazar : I think there is a shared narrative, but it’s not very conscious. Things are just tumbling around and sometimes they tumble out and stick in more than one place. Sometimes that object I found or the little sculpture I am working on reappears when I’m drawing or painting. And sometimes the thing I’m drawing or painting begins to show up when I’m playing with objects and clay. I guess a sort of natural continuity emerges. I try to just stay afloat and steer the ship very lightly. I’m curious to see where it all ends up.
Mark Murphy : Please share some of your favorite moments when creating Always Prepared:
Souther Salazar: Higgins showed up the day the ink ran out. The ink bottle became his head and an empty paint bottle became his body and then dried up pens and markers became his arms and legs. He hung around for a while before jumping into other stories. And then this surrounding kingdom grew around him…it’s a survey of little accidental moments that also began to fit together… each time another piece seemed to fit, it just made me happy. It includes small objects I found in different states, flea markets and pet stores and sidewalks.
I like that it grew so very slowly because some of the parts had more chances to get worn and layered with different drawing or constructing activities over time. Almost like a favorite photo or piece of paper that keeps getting tucked back into your wallet…eventually even the creases become familiar. (Above, Alexander Calder sculptural pieces created for Cirque).
Inspired thanks to Souther Salazar for sharing his amazing vision, story and artistic contributions. Honored with XL thanks! Please check out Souther Salazar at the Jonathan LeVine Gallery in New York, as well as his environmental installations coast to coast.
Souther Salazar is an important contemporary artist inspired by the artistic spirit of Calder and Mr. Ed Emberley. (Discover more about the imaginative world of Souther Salazar Interview, Last Trading Tortoise Stop, Souveniers Exhibit, Souveniers). (Above, collaboration with Brendan Monroe, 2015). (Always Prepared detail photographs by Tim Mantoani).