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Curtis Houston | Episode 487
Curtis Houston, a lifelong native of the South who currently resides in Lower Alabama. Curtis is the Three-Dimensional Art Professor at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. Southern influences have shaped Curtis’ perception of the world and tinged his work with a sense of wry quirky wit. Within these cultural and regional idiosyncrasies, Curtis’ sense of kitsch-like designs find their visual narrative and artistic voice.
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What is the printer you found works best for making your iron oxide decals?
It is an HP. I am not sure of the model number. I will tell you though any of the laser printers where you can find 40 percent or higher of the iron oxide, will work. It is an HP, I want to say 1220 but I could be wrong.
How would you find out where the 40 percent ink ratio is?
You have to go find it on MSDS reports on your ink cartridge. And I did that for about a year, looking at only black and white laser printers. I think the laser printer was less than 100 dollars. If am not mistaken the ink cartridge is 1085. I did see that on the box. When I stumbled into this there was very little information out there as to how it was done.
How important do you think personal research is compared to just going and getting the answer from someone who has already done it?
Oh gosh, it’s invaluable. I try to teach my students that the research is probably 85 percent of it. I always tell them this quote, William Faulkner said, Write about what you know about. Which means you make work which you know about. I know 80s, I know Stephen King, so there’s that. The research is vital for me. I know other artists who don’t do that, they jump in head first and they just want to get their hands dirty. I need it a little more planned out because I don’t have time for the mess ups.
What is your favorite media platform?
Instagram, by far. I guess I like the fact that it is very visual and there isn’t as much banter, maybe, to me, as there is in Facebook. Facebook is more personal, I guess, I don’t know. I see it a little bit differently. Instagram is not about the social aspect as is about presenting my work to people I don’t know. I am hesitant to say anything that would lead to too much banter. Instagram is by far my favorite.
How often do you post?
I am posting a little more now because of the holidays and because I have a little more inventory of work. In the new year that is one of my goals. I think I was posting maybe once or twice a month, which I think needs to get better. I was also learning the process and learning how it works, so I didn’t want to post a million things and then miss a comment. It pains me to miss a comment, I feel like I am letting them down. I think I am going to try a different approach in the new year. I won’t post probably every week , but I will try and post every ten days or so.
I noticed on your feed that you post only your work. Why is that? Why don’t you show a little bit of your life to give some context for your work?
Wow, that is a great question. Again, I think that is one of the things I am going to work toward in the new year. We just got a fantastic new multimedia person on our campus. He actually took the photos of me for your podcast, for your website and I am actually going to have him come into the studio when I am doing some of these demos and have him video some of them so I can post them. I have even thought about handing my phone to a student and have them post some things from the classroom. I try to differentiate my work life from my art life from my home life, but I definitely would like to post some more process videos and maybe a little more of myself.
How important is it to set a schedule and keep a schedule in order to be a maker with a busy life?
It is vital. I keep a running list of reminders in my phone and on a scratch piece of paper in a sketchbook. I mean my day is driving in and giving a final, coming home mailing some work, doing a podcast, leaving again to mail some more work, picking my kids up and going to a soccer banquet tonight, it never stops. It is vitally important to keep and schedule and when it is messed up is when I don’t get the work out. I had a few medical issues this semester that sidelined me for a while and I was going to do a social media Christmas blitz. Everything was going to be done right before Thanksgiving and it just didn’t happen. The medical issues are cleared up now so I am ready to rock.
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