All About You...Simon Huelsbeck

Get to know one of our exhibiting artists Simon Huelsbeck whose work in now on display at SooVAC. Hope none of his astounding work was lost in the flooding!


1.What is your first art related childhood memory?

First Grade, first day of art class. This kid had what I thought was a beautiful cigar box filled with art supplies neatly stacked and organized. He takes out a marker and proceeds to draw all over the box with a thick black line. I was slightly shocked and horrified but bizarrely excited. The hair stood up on the back of my neck.

2. As an artist, who is your biggest influence?

The violations of Osvaldo Romberg. The lushly painted, perversely historical work of Vincent Desiderio and Julie Heffernan. I’m slightly infatuated with Mathew Barney’s frames. The quiet understated poetry of colleague, friend and artist Joseph Hu. The now old sight -sized graphite drawings of colleague and friend Gabriel Augustus Boyce. The surfaces and white rooms of Felix Gonzalez Torres. The sublime of Casper David Friedrich.

3.What did you listen to in the studio while creating this show?

The same artists over and over:

Sigur Ros

Spaghetti Western String Quartet

Mumford and Sons

Bon Iver
Andrew Bird

4. Name three unexpected items one would find in your studio.
Life Size Styrofoam Easel and Cello
300 Pounds of Plaster
And at the moment, unfortunately, not me. My studio was flooded last week and its horrible.

5. What is your least favorite famous work of art?

Stumped on this one. Not much of a hater.

6. What art do you have hanging on your walls?

Lisa Murch bugs
David Bowen Print

Almae Larson photos

Steve Firkins drawings

James Denoyer drawings

Keiko Yagashita Dog Silkscreen

Beautiful Mic Stowel Ceramic/Painting

Joseph Hu Self Portrait as a comrade of sorts

A lot of my own work and a few more words to make stairs

7. What are you working on now?

I’m casting my kids smallest toys. Making a little ladder of twigs. Trying to figure out how to get my kid to sit still long enough to cast his feet. Sculpting little painting surfaces. Excited for two upcoming exhibitions that will give me opportunities to experiment: James Wegner Gallery in March 2012 and UCR Art Gallery in Septemeber 2012.

8. What will the title of your retrospective at MOMA be?
Liminal Being

Thanks Simon and good luck with the studio!

Point of Roughness: Work by Simon Huelsbeck will be up through December 3rd HERE.

For more of Simon's work visit HERE.