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Nancy Guppy Interviews Sculptor and Artist Todd Jannausch

Nancy Guppy sets sail with artist Todd Jannausch

By Nancy Guppy October 21, 2013

1113guppy

This article originally appeared in the November 2013 issue of Seattle magazine.

!–paging_filter–pSeattle sculptor and installation artist Todd Jannausch (a href=”http://www.toddjannausch.com” target=”_blank”toddjannausch.com/a) has a new solo show, Callus, which runs 11/15–12/21 at Pioneer Square gallery Method (a href=”http://www.methodgallery.com” target=”_blank”methodgallery.com/a). He’ll also give a gallery talk (11/21 at 6 p.m.). brstrongbrCOFFEE SHOP:/strong All City Coffee in Georgetown, a Tuesday morning in JulybrstrongTODD’S ORDER:/strong 12-ounce wet cappuccinobrstrongbrNancy Guppy:/strong For 15 years you were a builder and a shipwright. Do you greet brpeople with “Ahoy, matey!”?brstrongTodd Jannausch:/strong No. brbrstrongNG:/strong Does your shipbuilding background influence your art? brstrongTJ:/strong It was a big part of the reason I started in art in the first place. With the past stuff, Gallery (206) [work by 206 local artists embedded in a phone booth] and Small Voids [two-dimensional works by various artists, encased in plexiglass and suspended on street signs and poles], all of those were fabrications—things that I learned while I was building boats, skills I wouldn’t have learned any other way. brbrstrongNG:/strong Your past work has a collaborative vibe. Did you have to share growing up? brstrongTJ:/strong (Laughs) Yes. I had one brother. And he used to kick my ass a lot. So I had to “share” my toys a lot. brbrstrongNG:/strong I perceive you as an artist who works outside of the “art system.” brstrongTJ:/strong For a while, I was questioning: What can we do better with art? Who isn’t being included? What limits do galleries have?” Blowing those open a bit. So, outside, yes, but not against.brbrstrongNG: /strongGive me the elevator pitch for your upcoming solo show. brstrongTJ:/strong It’s about how we interact with inanimate objects in our everyday lives. For me, it’s about the relationship I have with tools, so there’ll be a bunch of altered tools. brbrstrongNG:/strong One of the works is a bent hammer. Does that piece relate to string theory? brstrongTJ:/strong No. It relates to masculinity. brbrstrongNG:/strong How do you know when you’re on the right track?brstrongTJ:/strong When I’m really nervous. When I start to feel that tension inside, it means I’m getting closer to a place that I haven’t been before—that’s usually a good sign. brbrstrongNG:/strong Choose one: money or fame. brstrongTJ:/strong Happiness.brbrNancy Guppy showcases Seattle artists on her show, Art Zone (a href=”http://www.seattlechannel.org/artzone” target=”_blank”seattlechannel.org/artzone/a).brbr/p
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