We’re a Happy Family Interview with Daddy Otis by: Julie Mech I first encountered Daddy Otis’s work when he posted a sculpture he’d made of 400mlbakery’s lovenut squirrel. It was so awesome I wanted to know what his other work looked like. In case you’re wondering, it’s equally fantastic. I am a HUGE fan of his Pac-man. I decided he’d be the perfect next subject to interview. We met at Hope Outdoor Gallery (HOG), or Graffiti Park, as it’s informally known. He gave me a primer on the rules- official and not at HOG- artists are supposed to wear (free) wrist bands, which show that they’ve registered to work on the walls, the wristbands are good for two months, don’t paint over anything that’s new, and if you’re going to spray over someone else’s work be respectful and buff it out first- i.e. paint a blank swatch over the previous work before doing your thing. We talked about wheatpaste too, of which there is generally less up than spraypainted works at HOG. Not that artists don’t like to, but it may be that they don’t have the time to get it up, or don’t get out that week, or just weren’t feeling it. The concept of “staying up” was also discussed- although there are some large-scale pieces that have not been buffed over at HOG- it is usually an ever-evolving urban canvas. Which can be good and bad for the artists. Instagram, Daddy Otis commented, is an awesome tool to put the spotlight on your work. But that doesn’t mean that a piece that you worked hard on, won’t be sprayed over by some jerk who doesn’t know the rules- even within a few hours. Nor do a boatload of Instagram followers translate into financial profits. Some artists do commissions, or sell canvases, prints, slaps (stickers), etc. at SprATX. But no one’s making stacks off of the work they put up at HOG. It’s just for the love of the game. Daddy Otis is also a sculptor and loves to work on game characters. Although some of my best friends at my art college were sequential design and 3-D animation majors, it was a surprise when Daddy Otis said that most character artists aren’t widely known unless the person owns the company or is already super famous, such as Stan Lee. Character artists are credited in the games, but it’s at the very end of the game- and like film credits- most people don’t stick around to see it. But locally Daddy Otis is getting some recognition. The cashier at the 7-Eleven recognized him and proclaimed that Daddy Otis is kind of a big deal, which he promptly denied. I asked how he’d picked his name. Turns out Daddy Otis shares the same name as his father, whom his kids call “Poppa Otis,” so the natural next step was to call himself “Daddy Otis.” I told him that when I’d first seen his user name it reminded me of Ed “Big Daddy” Roth and his rat mobiles. Coupled with his Tiki designs it has throwback appeal. He agreed, adding it kind of sound like Daddy-O, another old school nickname. I’d be remiss not to mention that Daddy Otis’s company is called Screwball Studios. He loves to work in clay and wood, he also does chainsaw carvings, paints and sketches. He brought some of his works and set them up- pictures as separate posts! “The only thing I don’t want to try,” he said, “Is performance art.” Having sat through some really painful pieces I totally support his decision. Follow Daddy Otis on Instagram @daddyotis you won’t be sorry! He’s also available for commissions! And if you haven’t been check out the Hope Outdoor Gallery at 1012 Baylor St. Austin, TX 78703 Please be safe, there is a little bit of rebar that pokes out at HOG! There’s not much, but watch your step around the concrete. Go- and go often! As Nubbles2014 says, GetUptoGetDowntoGetUp For more information about HOG check out their FB page https://www.facebook.com/HOPEOutdoorGallery?ref=hl www.HOPECAMPAIGN.org To participate e-mail them at [email protected] The Austin Chronicle also did a cover story about HOG a while back- http://www.austinchronicle.com/arts/2014-06-20/hog-wild/ 400mlbakery and SprATX as well as a bunch of other ATX’s spray artists are also on Instagram. Here is just a short list to get you started! Definitely NOT definitive! HUGE thanks to 400mlbakery who’s helped point out artists when I didn’t know who to credit! @400mlbakery @spratx @a_deko_z @antibydesign @blahmamus @blvdart @brikslovesyou @colorcartel @elenizzle @erthink @g52cube @happyrobots @iammagill @jasoneatherly @ladynonstop @liveagreatstory @logopaints @lucasaokiart @mikejohnstonartist @morecanlove @nubbles2014 @rawz_p @roshi_k @ruffhousearts @scrapatx @sepulstone @sheepimuzprime @shiftymcraspberry @squidinkkollective @starvingartdinner @stellar_roz @oblucka.rockabald @watchyourmouf