Updated 4/8/24: Dave Conrey makes things, and he's here to help you make things too

"One of the most gratifying things to me is getting a note from someone saying that something I shared helped them push aside fear and doubt..."

In the year since this was published, Dave made some changes to his newsletter and where you can find him. While he doesn’t post to his Substack anymore, he does maintain his work supporting artists through The Hungry.

There are people you stumble across via the Internet and you think, “I like the cut of this fella’s jib.”

Dave Conrey is one of those fellas.

A talented artist who lends time and effort to helping others explore their own talents and have the courage to get shizz done.

I have been thinking a lot lately about how social media can be an overwhelming space that destroys creativity because of the various expectations we think it sets on us. The truth is we set in on ourselves through comparisons with people we don’t even really know. At least I think that’s it.

I’m a grown ass man and have had the thought, “how can I be successful photographer if I’m not a hip, stylish woman who’s best friends with a ton of engaged couples?”

I’m getting off track, but this is precisely why I wanted to ask Dave a few questions about art and story through art and what he’s working on.

Who are you and what do you want?

Hi, I'm Dave, and I make things. As far as what I want, that is always a goalpost that I keep pushing further back because I'm not satisfied unless I have lofty goals to chase. Right now that's finding bigger, more experiential ways of making and sharing my art. 

For years now, it seems you've balanced creating your own art with being able to help other artists in their pursuits. What is it in you that keeps you giving so much time and effort into supporting artists who are trying to find their own path?

Referencing the previous question, a side "want" is to help as many people as possible find their way to indulge in their creative spirit. I think the world would be better if more people made things more often. One of the most gratifying things to me is getting a note from someone saying that something I shared helped them push aside fear and doubt, and get back to work on the things they've been wanting to work on for a long time. 

I recognized some time ago that I have a reasonable talent for expressing my feelings and views about art, design and craft in a way that encourages and resonates with others because it doesn't feel like they are being told what to do. I try to share my personal experiences in a way that lets people know that I've dealt with the same things they are dealing with and also share how I navigated those obstacles. I believe people appreciate the commiseration.

Social media has created a strange demand on artists. It seems as if it's not enough to make a thing, you now have to present the thing in an entertaining way. In some ways it feels like the artist is the thing and the art is a reason to make some social content. Am I offbase in thinking this? If not, how do you approach this concept in a healthy way?

I think it's true that we're being led by these companies to be more performative with our sharing. Admittedly I have a slight upper hand here because I took drama classes and participated in theater in high school. I wasn't a great actor back then, but I learned lessons about stage presence and how not to fear the performance.

I have been told by many people that when they meet me in person, I'm exactly as they expected me to be after seeing me online. I think it's essential to stay true to who we are, but I will acknowledge that I'm a bit more animated and dramatic in some of my videos. I'm ok with a little performance if it gives me the chance to have a positive impact on someone. 

Do you think the story of an artist's work is what helps separate the serious artists from the hobbyists?

This is a tough one because I know that there are plenty of art professionals who make work that may not feel like it has a story, but it's an internal one that they may not share publicly. I also think there are some professionals who work strictly from impulse and know what gets attention from people, but there's very little story involved.

However, it's my belief that the latter artists will eventually burn out from always chasing an attention graph. I think if you want to remain an artist all your life, you must have a good reason for the work you're making, and it must be something that satisfies your soul.

With that in mind, what comes first for you - the story or the art?

I would like to say the story comes first, but more times than not, I jump into a piece strictly on intuition and the story develops over time. I'm trying to be more conscious of this lately, making sure that whatever I make still fits within the greater scope of what I'm trying to say with my entire body of work. All my pieces may not be perfectly cohesive, but I want them to feel connected once you look at the entire body of work. I have a long way to go to get to that point. 

Looking back over the last few years, what is the story of your work?

That's a timely question because I've thought about that story a lot lately. Being an artist with deep roots in graphic design, I spent the last few years trying to bring those two worlds closer together. I feel like I've gotten really close to making those two concentrations into one, where they could be interchangeable, but I'm doing a lot less design work for clients these days. Any design projects are for my own products and promotion. Being the creative director of my own work is the greatest freedom ever.

Looking forward, how do you hope that story will evolve?

I'm actually working through a bit of a paradigm shift with my vision lately. I recently saw an exhibition with artist/designer Daniel Arsham. The way he talks about the scope of his work is inspiring, especially how it's become something much bigger than just an extensive collection of paintings and sculptures. It's about seeing the work from a thousand feet overhead and understanding how it works on an almost global scale. 

For most of 2023, I've been working a lot with upcycled and previously discarded materials. It started mostly because I didn't want to keep throwing old spray cans into the trash, and instead turning them into 3-dimensional art. Now I'm looking at how to take those materials, make something beautiful, and convey the message of society's obsession with consumption and planned obsolescence.

When people see my work, I want them to think about how the materials in the piece might be something they tossed into the trash without regard to the impact of that action.