Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Eatherly.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I currently live and create in Austin, TX – I’m originally from Wichita, KS, but after I turned 19 I was more than ready to get out of the Midwest and fortunately made my way down to Texas, living with friends in a suburb outside of Dallas. I was so hungry to make it as an artist; I heavily put myself out there in an unfamiliar community which eventually led me into a local art gallery in the mall that was, at the time, only selling giclée landscapes and traditional art. My work stood out and people took notice. After about 5 years in the DFW area, my now wife and I decided Austin was our next move. I found a local art gallery there, Austin Art Garage. The owners were so incredibly trusting in what I was doing and took that chance on me.
I am forever grateful for that. Even having the foot in the door at a gallery, I needed a way to market myself as an artist, get people talking, and ultimately make a living for myself. In 2012 I created the “Queen Eli” image – Queen Elizabeth with a paint mask. I was a machine creating stickers, posters, and stencils of this image; I put her up everywhere in Austin. This was my way of getting people talking and trying to figure out what it meant, who did it, etc. I have always felt like the image stood as a symbol of strength; it specifically shed light on the strong women in my life. Domestic abuse ran prevalent in the lives of my mother and grandmother, but they both remained optimistic and full of joy. My grandmother was even a professional clown for most of her life, she brought joy to so many strangers even though she was going through so much personal pain. Her strength has always inspired me and motivated me to follow my dreams. I never fully grasped what the image would become and how many lives I would touch. Now I see it tattooed on people, I see my stickers being put up around the world, and people sharing their stories on how the image affected their lives in positive ways. It’s still a surreal feeling. To this day I continue to try to find that balance between enjoying what I make, but still making a serious impact.
Please tell us about your art.
I feel like my fine art comes from a very real place. I grew up with not a lot around me, so I had to become very resourceful. This gave me the ability to work on several different mediums, not being stuck to just one. My current artistic mediums range from acrylic/oil on hand constructed canvas to large scale spray paint or roller murals.
My inspiration comes from my ability to be constantly aware of my surroundings. I often catch myself admiring the decaying architecture and aging means of transportation on my daily commute around town or during my travels elsewhere. I tend to scheme the endless possibilities these abandoned spaces & things could become through my art — From a run down, rusted out VW bug, a make shift DIY skate spot under a bridge, to a boarded up, falling apart warehouse; there’s underlying beauty in it all. I find potential in the abandoned grit in our world. It’s all around us, the moment you see it for what it is and accept it, is the moment you can truly appreciate the ‘things’ you see or have every day. I hope people can see my work and take away a new appreciation for the one life we have and feel inspired.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing artists today?
For me art was just something to do after school, yet always felt like art was going to be it for me. But at a young age I was always told differently, always told to get a “real job”, “art would never be your career”. Art and artists, I feel, have always been seen as a secondary “hobby’, and artists can feel discouraged or taken advantage of when large companies, for instance, try to exploit the artist for ‘EXPOSURE’ – this may seem great, but in reality, these businesses are taking the easy way out instead of paying someone for their talents. You wouldn’t ask an electrician to rewire your entire house for free, would you? At the end of the day, these businesses are the ones who reap all the rewards – getting free art/marketing while the artist struggles to pay rent and even live in a city that was founded on being different. I think it’s about finding that middle ground and standing up for what you love and your talents.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
Currently, I have work on display at 2 Austin galleries – Austin Art Garage and Art On 5th Gallery. I also have prints and smaller works available through my personal artist website – www.jasoneatherly.com; also, at an Austin local graffiti shop and artist collective known as Spratx.
Contact Info:
- Website: jasoneatherly.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @jasoneatherly
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/jasoneatherlyartist/
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