Not Real Art

If Teddy Margas could give the world one message, it would be to embrace the power of creativity. He is a shining example of creative talent and dedication, and we are very lucky to have an amazing conversation to share with all of our listeners today! Actor, writer, comedian, performer; however you want to describe him, Teddy has his fingers in many pies and continues to grow and branch out, embracing new challenges and forms in order to stay inspired. In our chat, we talk about Teddy's upbringing and family, the moments in his childhood that left a mark on him, bringing the power of personal trauma into performance, and why connecting with an audience can be so powerful. We also touch on some of Teddy's amazing character work, which you find on his social media channels, and the lessons he learned about how to approach auditions. For Teddy, being creative doesn't have to mean dropping everything to make it in Hollywood, he just believes that allowing space for the magic of play and creativity can bring so much joy and fulfillment into our lives, a message we at the Not Real Art Podcast fully endorse! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Teddy's early years, birth in North Carolina, and formative years in Philadelphia.  
• Reflections on the benefits of growing up in a cultural melting pot. 
• Moving to LA and leaving the small pond for a big city.
• Teddy's belief in nurturing the artistic impulses of young children. 
• The bravery it takes to get up on stage and why Teddy thinks everyone should try it!
• Thoughts on the connection between comedy and trauma.  
• How Teddy properly found his voice and truly connected with an audience. 
• Teddy's approach to describing his work and skillset in different situations.
• The work that goes into the development of Teddy's characters and his fascination with 'Karen'. 
• A look back at the important periods of learning in Teddy's journey.
• Teddy explains some surprising elements of successful auditioning techniques. 
• How Teddy uses silences and pauses in his routine. 
• The surprising roles and places that Teddy has found himself in through his love of creating!
• Teddy's perspective on the hurdles he faces at this point in his career, and his attraction to challenges. 
• Exciting information on upcoming projects and how to connect with Teddy online!

For more info, please visit: https://notrealart.com/teddy-margas

In these tough times we have all been living through, hope can seem a little elusive. Many of us want to work for change and make a positive impact, but it is not always clear where we should put our energy and money. Two young women from LA are providing us with a great example of what is possible, and we are joined by Zoey Hudis and Lucy Lipofsky of Art for Peace today, as well as their proud mothers! Art for Peace is an initiative and event founded in order to support the crisis in Ukraine right now, and Zoey and Lucy have managed to connect with an amazing roster of artists, who have donated work that will be sold for the cause. This inspiring project can show us all how we can work within our scope, in ways that suit our skills and interests, for a better world. The Art for Peace event was held on the weekend of April 15 through the 18th, and we cannot wait to see what these young art activists do next!

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to the mission at Art for Peace!
• The process of creating the website and finding a gallery space.
• How Zoey and Lucy managed to involve such an impressive roster of artists!  
• The role that everyone can play by coming together and sharing skills and effort. 
• Why Zoey and Lucy's dedication and involvement have propelled the initiative. 
• A little about the two organizations that Art for Peace has partnered with.
• Details about the gallery space, and where to find out more about the event and project.
• The inspiration behind the logo and the symbolism of the dove that Lucy used.  
• Feelings of pride that Zoey and Lucy's moms are experiencing right now.

For more info, please visit: https://notrealart.com/art-for-peace

Some people are extraordinarily unique and change the game completely. We here at NOT REAL ART are pleased to present last year’s episode on Juxtapoz Magazine founder and lowbrow art enthusiast Greg Escalante. Escalante was a bona fide maverick and trailblazer, carving out a space where so many of us could feel at home.

For this episode, originally aired April 9, 2021, some 30 artists and friends gathered to record personal audio messages in honor of Escalante’s birthday on April 17. To celebrate the episode’s one-year anniversary, we’re baking a cake, lighting the candles, and remembering Escalante’s impact for one more turn around the sun.

Juxtapoz, the publication Escalante co-founded with cartoonist Robert Williams, is still a leading work in the alternative and underground art space. Escalante's legacy is about far more than the magazine—it’s about the community he built and the lives he touched. During the show, you’ll hear tributes from many of the artists who were impacted by Greg, including Robert Williams, Shag, Shepard Fairy, Elizabeth McGrath, and Chaz Bojórquez, just to name just a few.

The episode is hosted by NOT REAL ART founder, Scott “Sourdough” Power, Heidi Johnson of Hijinx Artist Management & PR, and Wendy Sherman, who acted as Escalante’s personal assistant and gallery manager. Johnson and Sherman share their fondest memories of Greg, like his love of ice cream, their travels, and what a day spent with him would look like.

Tune in to this week’s episode to hear the profound impact Escalante had, not just on the art world, but on the many weird and wonderful people in it.

• The first time “Sourdough” heard about Escalante and Juxtapoz in 1995
• Hans's experience of being in Southern California in the center of the community Escalante was building
• Heidi's experience of working with Escalante and how they helped one another's careers
• Hear artists like Robert Williams, Mark Ryden and Scott Hess share stories about their dear friend, Escalante
• Merry Karnowsky, Ben Goretsky, Shag, Shepard Fairy, and Shana Nys Dambrot honor Escalante
• How Escalante changed Elizabeth McGrath's life and career forever
• What a day spend with Escalante in Chinatown would look like
• Heidi shares a story of a dinner she and Escalante went to when he had a rare drink
• Reflecting on some of Escalante’s wild birthday celebrations
• How Escalante approached studio visits with his characteristic generosity and openness
• More artists, including Marnie Weber, Natalia Faber, Timothy Robert Smith share what Escalante meant to them
• Escalante had a unique way of making people feel truly seen
• The timeline of starting Juxtapoz; it all happened very quickly after he met Robert
• What Juxtapoz means to the art world and artists who ordinarily would have been ignored
• The story of how Robert and Escalante connected and met
• Chaz Bojórquez shares the story of his and Escalante's friendship
• Some other artists tell stories of their memories with Escalante
• Escalante's experience of seeing Robert's work on the cover of Thrasher
• Escalante's relationships with gallerists were as special and unique as his ones with artists
• Insights into Escalante's generosity with his art collection and his penchant for giving art away.
• Reflecting on the fun that Escalante brought to the often serious art world
• Escalante’s varied music taste and his love for all genres
• Hear about Escalante's spiritual life and what he might have thought about The Vatican
• The story of how Wendy met Escalante after being interested in lowbrow art for many years
• Doug Harvey, LC, and more pay tribute to Escalante
• Heidi's trip with Escalante to Mexico and his other travels over the years
• Escalante did not just change the art scene; he changed people's lives
• More friends and artists share their tributes to Escalante to end the show

For more information visit: https://notrealart.com/juxtapoz-founder-greg-escalante/

• Greg Escalante — https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/15/arts/greg-escalante-champion-of-lowbrow-art-dies-at-62.html
• Juxtapoz — https://www.juxtapoz.com/
• Hijinx PR — https://www.hijinxarts.com/
• Heidi Johnson on Twitter — https://twitter.com/hijinxpr
• Robert Williams — https://www.robtwilliamsstudio.com/
• Scott Hess — https://www.artsy.net/artist/f-scott-hess
• Merry Karnowsky Gallery — https://kpprojects.net/
• Ben Goretsky — https://www.instagram.com/bgoretsky/
• Shag — http://www.shag.com/
• Shepard Fairy — https://obeygiant.com/
• Shana Nys Dambrot — http://www.sndx.net/
• Thomas Kinkade — https://thomaskinkade.com/
• Elizabeth McGrath — https://elizabethmcgrath.com/
• Scoops — https://www.instagram.com/scoopsbic/
• Eric White — http://ewhite.com/
• Marnie Weber — https://www.simonleegallery.com/artists/marnie-weber/
• Natalia Fabia — https://www.nataliafabia.com/
• Timothy Robert Smith — https://www.instagram.com/timothyrobertsmith/
• Enzia Farrell — http://enziafarrell.com/
• Chaz Bojórquez — https://www.instagram.com/chaz_bojorquez/
• The Lowbrow Art of Robert Williams — https://www.amazon.com/Lowbrow-Art-Robert-Williams/dp/0867194189
• Isabel Samaras — https://www.instagram.com/isabelsamaras.art/
• Grand Central Art Center — http://www.grandcentralartcenter.com/
• Mark Hyden — https://www.markryden.com/
• Odd Nerdrum — https://nerdrum.com/
• Thrasher — https://www.thrashermagazine.com/
• Andrew Hosner — https://urban-nation.com/artist/andrew-hosner/
• The Beast Brothers — https://www.instagram.com/thebeastbrothers/
• Robert Berman Gallery — http://www.robertbermangallery.com/
• Jorge R. Gutierrez on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/mexopolis/
• Doug Harvey — http://dougharvey.blogspot.com/
• L. Croskey — https://rawartists.com/frrrresh
• Kate Gammell on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/kategammell/
• Tyler Stallings — http://www.tylerstallings.com/
• Man One — http://www.manone.com/
• Man One on Twitter — https://twitter.com/ManOneArt
• Scott “Sourdough” Power — https://www.instagram.com/sourdoughpower/
• Not Real Art — https://notrealart.com/
• Not Real Art School — https://school.notrealart.com/
• Not Real Art on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/notrealartworld/
• Hans Fjellestad — https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0280755/
• Hans Fjellestad on Twitter — https://twitter.com/sanjusan

“Every once in a while, somebody comes along that really changes the game. A truly unique, one-of-a-kind person. Those mavericks, those trailblazers that we need to make history. And so, today, I thought we’d take time to honor one of those mavericks, one of those amazing, unique, one-of-a-kind human beings, Mr. Greg Escalante.” — Sourdough [0:03:10.0]

“Until Greg, no-one had really ever invested anything in me. And he showed me that there was this whole other world out there you could survive and become successful in. He genuinely believed I had talent and gave me a chance, and that was huge. And that was Greg. He was the foundation for so many artists. He was always networking. Always networking. But never, ever for himself, always everyone around him. Sometimes he would just call me at the crack of dawn and have this whole future planned out for everyone. For me, for everyone he worked with and if you put in the work, he'd make it happen. He made dreams come true. The legacy he left behind is monumental. And it's not even the art. It's the community he built for all of us. And on his birthday, I think of all the gifts that he gave us. The gift of his optimism, the gift of a place to be ourselves, to be free to create without judgment, and confidence that good things will happen because of it. I really miss him.” — Elizabeth McGrath [0:35:00.0]

“After years of an art market that felt very exclusive and not inclusive, I think he was always ahead of his time in that he wanted everyone to enjoy art and everyone should be invited to the party. And whether you can buy art or not, you should be able to feel it and live with it. He really broke down that barrier too.” — @hijinxpr [1:41:17.0]

“Besides all the great stuff that he did for the scene and for the movement and the community, on an individual level, he really helped a lot of people be the best they could be.” — @sanjusan[2:15:26.0]

Today on Not Real Art, we are joined by the one and only Jimmy Smith from Amusement Park Entertainment (APE), an advertising legend who has been in the game since 1985. He got his start working on the Nike ‘Just Do It’ campaign and his career has included stints at Wieden & Kennedy, where he created ‘Book of Dimes’, an ad starring LeBron James and Bernie Mac for Nike; BBDO, where he served as Executive Creative Director for Motorola; and TBWA/Chiat/Day L.A., where he was Group Creative Director for Gatorade. In 2012, Fast Company named Jimmy one of the Top 100 Most Creative People and, in today’s episode, he shares with us the power of ideas and why it’s so important for creatives, especially creatives of color, to treat their ideas as precious resources. We also discuss the difference between making an ad and creating a piece of culture that lives on long after the campaign is over and Jimmy shares the incredible story of how he convinced Luke Aikens to jump out of a plane without a parachute for Stride Gum in 2016. For more awe-inspiring stories from a true creative force to be reckoned with, make sure not to miss this episode with Jimmy Smith!

Key Points From This Episode:

• The importance of aligning yourself with the innovators and one-upping the ‘knuckleheads’.
• Why Jimmy believes the highest-paid people are oftentimes the givers.
• Some of the challenges that come with creating something completely new.
• Why you’re probably not innovating if you aren’t ruffling some feathers.
• The battles creatives have to go through sometimes to bring their visions to life.
• Why Sourdough encourages creatives to “take heart” when their ideas are stolen.
• Jimmy emphasizes the value of treating ideas as precious, especially as a Black creative.
• Insight into why APE co-owns ideas with the brands they work with.
• The difference between making an ad and creating a piece of culture that lives on.
• Hear the story of how Jimmy got Luke Aikens to agree to jump from a plane without a parachute for Stride Gum.
• The quote from Jo Muse that Jimmy lives by, which starts with “think the unthinkable."
• Jimmy cautions that, as crazy as your ideas are, they have to still serve the client.
• Some of the ideas he is working on right now, including an oil product that reduces smog.
• How he has seen the advertising game evolve and where he believes it is headed.
• Examples of how brands can leverage podcasting to their benefit.
• Jimmy closes with his belief that, if it isn’t going to be great, it’s time to go home!

For more info, please visit: https://notrealart.com/jimmy-smith

Blending themes of morbid corporeality with a colorful, loony aesthetic descended from comics and cartoons, today’s guest has developed a unique style that has a profound effect on viewers, whether on the street or in the gallery. In Nychos’ world, Spongebob has a skeleton, people live inside rabbits, and there is always something wicked beneath the surface! Nychos is an Austrian illustrator, artist, and the Founder of Rabbit Eye Movement, an operating collective that serves as an exhibition space, shop, and international movement. He is known for his characteristic dissection, cross-section, x-ray, and translucent styles, often portraying animals and characters drawn from pop culture. We had the opportunity to sit down with Nychos to discuss his new show, The Awakening, which you can view at Mirus Gallery in Los Angeles until May 2022. The exhibition is dedicated to this intense creative phase in Nychos’ life and, as you’ll discover in today’s episode, it presents a body of work that speaks to the artist’s suffering, insight, and healing; his falling apart and reassembling. For a fascinating and deeply personal conversation with the super talented and thought-provoking artist, Nychos, be sure not to miss this episode!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Nychos sets the scene for the exhibition, which comprises over 100 artworks.
• Insight into the exhibition title and how Nychos’ artistic expression has evolved.
• How injury, illness, and pain informed his stylistic transition from dissection to translucence.
• His move from San Fransisco to LA, where he found a studio and eventually put down roots.
• What led him to experiment with psychedelics when he couldn’t find the source of his illness.
• Nychos describes the experience he had on 5-MeO-DMT or ‘toad medicine’, which allowed him to understand energy, trauma, rebirth, and healing.
• The transformative power of meditation and tai chi and why Nychos says he felt like a “young puppy in a new world.”
• The language of his paintings and how they illustrate his personal spiritual awakening.
• Understanding that channeling his trauma through his work was the key to healing himself.
• The importance of accepting responsibility for your own health, happiness, and wellbeing.
• Insight into Nychos’ cultural and religious background and the role that hunting plays.
• What he has come to understand about awareness and how we are all connected.

For more info, please visit: https://notrealart.com/nychos

With so much stress, anger, and frustration in the world, today’s guest tries to create meaningful artworks that he hopes will bring a smile to his viewers’ faces. Please join us in welcoming Daryl Slaton, an animator and an illustrator from Asheville, North Carolina. By utilizing technology like augmented reality (AR) and NFTs, Daryl hopes to spread joy and positivity through his animated characters by reaching as many viewers as he can. In today’s episode, he shares how he uses AR to animate his characters and tell short stories that sometimes speak to larger issues such as global warming but always evoke a sense of playfulness and gentle humor. We touch on some of Daryl’s earliest artistic influences and his trajectory in the art world before diving into his creative process and the immersive, interactive space he is hoping to build with Artsville in the River Arts District, plus so much more! To find out more about how Daryl is embracing new technology to spread positivity with his Tails of Whimsy, make sure to tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Why Daryl hopes to spread joy and positivity through his artwork.
• Learn about the vibrant creative community in Asheville, where Daryl lives and works.
• Some of his earliest artistic influences and why he is drawn to what he calls ‘gentle humor’.
• What his childhood in North Carolina looked like as the youngest of four boys.
• Hear about the first drawing that Daryl remembers creating when he was in the first grade.
• Daryl shares an overview of his trajectory in the art world, which began in commercial art.
• How Gallagher, a playful anthropomorphic tiger cub, revealed his true character to Daryl.
• Find out how intertwined Daryl is with his characters (and vice versa)!
• Discover how Daryl’s practice was impacted by COVID.
• How he is embracing new technology like AR to tell stories through his animations.
• Insight into Daryl’s creative process, which starts with a pencil drawing.
• Why he says he doesn’t wait for inspiration to strike; he goes out and hunts for it!
• Why he was hesitant about NFTs at first but has now begun to embrace them.
• Hear about the immersive, interactive space he is hoping to build with Artsville.
• Learn more about the Artsville gallery space and the podcast that we’ve have created.
• How Daryl shows people things that they didn’t even know existed through AR.
• Some of the benefits of digital art, including the capacity for storage.

For more info, please visit: https://notrealart.com/daryl-slaton

If you’re a creative entrepreneur or an artist, chances are that you probably don’t enjoy doing your taxes. Well, today’s guest is here to help! Hannah Cole is an artist, speaker, and tax professional empowering thousands of fellow creatives with clear financial education and tax preparation. As the Founder of Sunlight Tax, she specializes in working with artists and their businesses and, although she has worked at a few ‘buttoned-up’ tax firms in New York City, she loves bringing her skills to the aid of the creative world. In this episode, Hannah debunks the myth that artists are no good with numbers and shares some practical advice to help us impart our own ‘freaky flavor’ into our businesses while also taking money-making seriously. You’ll also gain some insight into her journey from punk-rock-loving anticapitalist to creative tax specialist and what she learned about the art world and her own practice along the way, plus so much more! By delivering engaging tax education that is art-world savvy, Hannah empowers creatives to become self-reliant so that you don’t have to pay someone like her to do the work for you, so make sure to tune in today for an un-intimidating look at your finances with tax expert, Hannah Cole!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Gatekeeping in the art world and the tension between accessibility and enjoyment.
• Find out how Hannah ended up in Asheville after living in New York for many years.
• Hannah shares her journey from punk rock anticapitalist to art-savvy tax specialist.
• Some background on Sunlight Tax and what informed her decision to start it.
• The importance of clear financial education for professional artists.
• How the distinctions between commercial art and fine art have blurred over the years.
• What Hannah learned about business from working in a design agency.
• Empowering artists and debunking the myth that they are no good with numbers.
• The emotional labor inherent in Hannah’s work and how she helps artists take the ‘making money’ part of their business more seriously.
• How school systems prioritize writing and math over visual thinking and communication.
• Fostering democracy in the art world by seeing art as a fundamentally human pursuit.
• Why seeing artists thriving in the entrepreneurial space brings Hannah such joy.
• The inherent advantages that Hannah believes artists have as business owners, including their ability to see what others can’t.
• Revelations Hannah had about being an artist while she was learning about accounting.
• Sourdough challenges artists to view their output as intellectual property.
• Hannah explains why most artists don’t make money through gallery representation.
• Why she believes artists need thick skin to innovate on the business side of their art practice.
• The power of community building and resource sharing in the art world.
• Some of the free resources that Hannah offers for artists.
• Hannah reflects on the importance of delegating rather than DIY-ing sometimes.

For more info, please visit: https://notrealart.com/hannah-cole

Today’s episode is an incredibly poignant and powerful one, as we are joined by Olga Severina, an artist, curator, and graphic designer who was born and raised in the Ukraine. She grew up in a thriving creative community in Kharkov and moved to Los Angeles with her family in 2010, but she still has friends and relatives who are currently hiding in basements in Ukraine, hoping that they won’t be killed by advancing Russian Armed Forces. As you’ll learn from this episode, Olga is the founder and curator of PosterTerritory, a project that launches socially conscious poster exhibits. As artists, it’s sometimes difficult to know what to do in the face of injustice, which is why Olga started the PosterTerritory initiative, which provides artists with a platform to spread awareness. PosterTerritory was built on the belief that art and creativity have the power to save the world, and this concept forms the main theme of our conversation today. We discuss how posters are the ideal art form for social change and Olga shares her perspective on the horrific consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. She also shares the power of design to make a statement, her love for the creative community in her hometown, and where and how you can contribute and donate to PosterTerritory and other organizations that are supporting Ukrainians during these dark times. Tune in today to learn from Olga as she sheds light on what artists can do to spread awareness, show solidarity, and rise up against injustice!

For more info, please visit: https://notrealart.com/olga-severina

In a world of turmoil, art matters more than ever. At least, that’s what today’s guest believes. As the Founder of Matter Studio Gallery, ceramic artist and master carpenter Karla Funderburk realized her longstanding vision for an exhibition space where artists from Southern California can share their work and their voices. As much an art gallery as a vital community hub that celebrates inclusiveness through artistic expression, Matter Studio Gallery fills an essential need in the ever-evolving city of Los Angeles. Joining us today, Karla shares the story behind the name of the gallery and how she hopes to make a difference, one visitor at a time. We discuss the sometimes unseen impact of art, finding a balance between making art and making a living, and the power that art has to shine a light on injustice and connect people rather than divide them. You’ll also learn about the Memorial Crane Project, a nonprofit organization that Karla created to commemorate the victims of COVID-19, and how it holds space for the memorials many people were unable to have, plus so much more. After listening to this episode, we hope that you will not only be inspired to pursue your own creative visions but also see art as a way to raise awareness, create empathy, and foster collective healing. Tune in today to find out why art matters!

For more info, please visit: https://notrealart.com/karla-funderburk

Making a career as an artist is still a difficult pursuit and this says a lot about the world we live in. As the Founder and Chief Creative Enabler of Art Jamz, Michael Clements is trying to address this. He joins us today to tell us about his mission to make the world a more creative place. Michael talks about how, after years of creative experimentation, he decided to start Art Jamz, a business that helps artists find stable jobs while connecting people to their inner artists through art classes and ‘ArtBoxes’. But before we get to this part of his story, we discover everything that led up to it. We hear about Michael’s childhood growing up with no idea that art was more than a hobby. He talks about his different creative pursuits in writing, poetry, and drawing while he studied toward a master's degree that would help him get a ‘real job’. We learn of the leap of faith he took after a stint in Japan where he decided only to pick up work if it was creative. After a successful career in acting and publishing, Michael talks about returning to the US to once again begin the experimentation process, and how he finally ended up as an executive editor. Find out how inspired Michael was by the brilliant people his magazine profiled and why he decided to start something of his own (Art Jamz). For a conversation about leaps of faith and calculated risks, how to make a career as a creative by leveraging what you can offer, and the role of being mission-driven in resilience and adaptability, tune in today.

For more info, please visit: https://notrealart.com/michael-clements