In this episode of the Mortal Machine Podcast, I sit down with Cody Barber — a metal artist who’s been living and creating in Marfa since 2013 
to talk about what 13 years in the desert really looks like.

We get into:

• Moving to Marfa with a truck full of handmade chairs
• Getting sober after earning the nickname “Blackout Barber” 
• The loneliness (and safety) of small-town creative life
• Why quitting his bestselling horseshoes almost wrecked him financially 
• The tension between making “real art” and paying the bills
• Building a marketable product without selling your soul

Cody’s powder-coated horseshoes started as a functional experiment and became the thing that gave him creative freedom. When he stopped making them, the money dried up. That lesson hits hard: if you want to make art full-time, you need something that sustains you.

We also talk about what it’s like to move somewhere like Marfa in your 20s. His advice? Have guts. But proceed with caution.

If you're an artist trying to figure out how to survive without compromising yourself — this one’s for you.

🔗 Cody’s work: codybarber.work
 📍 Mortal Machine Gallery — New Orleans

Subscribe for more conversations with artists, builders, and creative lifers figuring it out in real time.

Recorded at Create Space in Alpine, Texas, Chris Trew sits down with muralist and sign painter Monte Welt — a fellow Louisiana native who traded Metairie for the wide-open desert of West Texas.

Monte shares what it’s really like to move to Alpine sight unseen, build an art career from scratch, and navigate the cultural differences between Alpine and nearby Marfa. They talk Donald Judd’s minimalist influence, graffiti vs. gallery culture, “West Texas time,” and why Alpine might just be the hidden gem artists overlook.

You’ll also hear:

The real difference between Alpine and Marfa

How Monte went from door-knocking for walls to painting 20+ buildings across the Tri-County area

The grind of making a living as a full-time artist in a small town

Why “trust your artist” isn’t just a slogan

The exposure vs. payment conversation (and the alleyway mural offer that’ll make you laugh)

If you’re an artist thinking about relocating, chasing a creative life, or wondering how murals actually happen from sketch to wall — this episode pulls back the curtain.

Like, subscribe, and share if you believe in independent art and independent podcasts.

Buy Monty's art here.

Recorded inside her Marfa studio, this episode sits down with Alyse of Opal Rugs to talk about what it really means to live and work as an artist in one of the most mythologized art towns in America.

Visit Opal Rugs: https://www.opalrugs.com/

Recorded on location in Marfa, Texas.

In this episode of Mortal Machine Podcast, we step into the creative spirit behind Mortal Machine Experiences — intimate, invitation-based moments rooted in the same energy as the gallery itself.

Mortal Machine Experiences is a collection of intimate, invitation-based moments hosted in and around our French Quarter spaces. Rooted in the same spirit as the gallery, these experiences are designed for artists, collectors, and couples seeking something unique, personal, and fleeting - moments shaped by light, architecture, and the quiet pulse of New Orleans below.

Recorded at Harry's Corner in the French Quarter, this no-guest episode finds Gabriel Shaffer and Chris Trew talking shop about growth, risk, and what it actually takes to expand a creative business in New Orleans. The conversation centers on Gabe opening a brand-new Mortal Machine location literally right next door at 938 Royal—why now, what changed, and what no one tells you about scaling art spaces in the Quarter. Expect candid behind-the-scenes talk about real estate, community, burnout, momentum, and betting on yourself—plus the usual bar-level honesty.

Artist Arik Roper joins the Mortal Machine Podcast to talk about New Orleans as a true art city, his experiences creating iconic cover art for legendary bands like Sleep, and what actually makes a great art exhibition.

We dig into how music and visual art intersect, what it’s like working with bands whose imagery matters as much as their sound, and how artists can think differently about showing work—beyond just hanging pieces on a wall.

If you’re an artist, musician, curator, or just someone who loves the New Orleans creative scene, this episode is for you.

🎨 Topics include:
• New Orleans’ role in the contemporary art world
• Creating album art for heavy, iconic bands
• Translating music into visual language
• What separates a good exhibition from a great one
• Building an artistic voice that lasts

📍Check out Mortal Machine Gallery in the French Quarter at 940 and 938 Royal Street.
See Arik Roper's work at Mortal Machine here.

👍 Like, subscribe, and hit the bell 🔔 for more conversations with artists, comedians, and creative thinkers. 

Artist Dan Witz joins the podcast to talk about exhibiting at SCOPE Art Show during Miami Art Week—covering large-scale installations, navigating the fair circuit, and what it takes to stand out in one of the art world’s loudest weeks.

Buy Dan's work from Mortal Machine.

Iconic artist Shepard Fairey (Obey, Obama Hope poster) joins the podcast live at SCOPE Art Show during Miami Art Week to discuss the intersection of art and activism, exhibiting in a high-noise fair environment, and how message-driven work survives—and thrives—on a global stage.

Buy Shepard's art at Mortal Machine.

Artist Mab Graves joins the podcast live at SCOPE Art Show during Miami Art Week to talk about her dark-whimsical universe, building a recognizable visual language, and carving out space for deeply personal work amid the chaos of the art-fair world.

Buy Mab's work at Mortal Machine.