Max and I were going to test his roaming and wi-fi siphoning Skype program but after a few tries, we were unsuccessful…anyhow, our extraordinarily long phone call went a bit like this.

TM:    Name/Age/Location:

MK:    Max Kauffman, age 26, currently living in Denver Colorado.

TM:    Employment

MK:     50/50 for art and various employee positions. 


 
TM:    Art background?

MK:    I’ve drawn forever, since I was a kid. Mostly beasts, monsters and dinosaurs. I learned to paint in high school..then got a degree in ceramics while I was in college.  I learned watercolour from an ex and now I’m fully into painting.  I also found it easier to get paintings out rather than ceramics. I’ve had bad experiences shipping ceramics.

TM:    So, I was just curious about all the birds. What’s with the birds?



 
MK:    Haha, I’m at a loss to explain the birds. I guess I like the freedom they represent. Something about all the individual moving parts that become a whole.  It’s also easier to draw and paint birds than people. They’re a good starting point.  

I’m also into drawing/painting deer and other creatures like beasts and some bears.  Beasts are sort of ambiguous, I like that.  I was really into anthropology in school. Obsessed a bit I guess with the ancient species, missing link kind of thing.
I also like the idea of evolution going off into tangents. A sort of primitive idea of what’s to come.


 
TM:    I noticed you have a sort of nature vs. man-made theme going on. Can you tell me more about that?

KM:    I picked up some drawings I had done years ago, crooked, off-centered buildings, chaos, then added it in with my current style where it was more about beasts taking reining over cities and cities becoming ruins and taken back by nature. Sort of graffiti style.


 
TM:    Does graffiti influence in your work?  

MK:    Definitely. I really like the styles of Jeff Soto. I see his stuff and it gives me hope for my own techniques.

I like reading about what an artists does, how they create. It’s like how I work too, laying down the elements then adding more structure and details.

I did that a lot with my old work and it just became ink vs. paint but now I work with more landscapes and dimensions.



TM:    Do you feel it is important for a buyer of your work to understand a message you are trying to portray?

MK:    Yeah, I love it when someone completely understands one of my pieces. But I also think it’s cool when people see something else. I’ve heard some really wonderful interpretations of my paintings.


 
TM:    Can you tell me about Robot Skate Agency?

MK:    Robot Skate Agency started off as a joke. Depicting robots as overlords, poking fun at the over-blown skate industries. I made a couple shirts as jokes but then people started to ask for product.
I put together an art tour and sold t-shirts to survive and keep it going. Then I moved to Colorado and discovered that starting an actual skate company was more work than I bargained for.

TM:    Beer Style?

MK:    Avery IPA. They are a local microbrewery here in Denver.  And for crappy beer; Pabst.  I did get a taste for Yuengling, an east coast beer from Philly.

We had a thirsty discussion about killer beers and I gave him a little lesson on the history on our local favorite, Lucky Beer.

TM:    Are you voting?

MK:    Voting for sure! When the DNC came to town in August, I was a bartender at the convention and got a chance to learn more about politics. I am definitely voting!


TM:    What do you listen to when you’re painting?

MK:    When I’m painting, I like to listen to stuff I know (hip-hop with a dabble in indy rock) but when I’m sketching, I like newer bands/music. I get a lot of ideas when I listen to new music.

Max told me about a few bands that I’ve never heard of so I will be spending the weekend on Google™ looking up random indy bands.

 http://umphreys.com/
 http://www.minusthebear.com/
 http://www.thefieryfurnaces.com/
 http://www.drdogmusic.com/
 http://www.thenewpornographers.com/

TM:    Any upcoming shows for you?

MK:   

Current: 'Mecha Organica' Suite 100 Gallery Seattle
              'Black, white, and color' Pony CLub Portland

Nov- ‘square foot’ Plastic Chapel, Denver
      -‘Skip the Mall’ Black Maria Gallery, Los Angeles
      -‘Jazz Town Redux’ tentative title two person show D-Note, Arvada, CO
      -‘Holiday Show’ Suite 100 Seattle

Dec- ‘Puddle Town’ Compound Gallery, Portland
      -‘West Meets Middle’ self curated 4 person show Clothing Optional, Chicago
 
Jan- Group show at Young Blood Gallery, Atlanta, GA

Feb 09- Two person show NancyNancyNancy, Seattle, Wa

March 09- solo show Push Gallery, Asheville, NC
              -Group show at La Luz De Jesus in LA, CA
         
July 09-tba 2 person show Newsspeak, Denver

Late 09-self curated group show Here Gallery, Bristol, UK

Oct 09-self curated group show Oh No Doom!, Chicago

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