FAQ - Kevin Caron

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Kevin Caron

People often ask questions about Kevin and his career - here are the ones he often hears, and his answers.

For more information about Kevin, please visit the About page.

Did you always want to be an artist?
No. I have always built things, but art was not a career goal for me. It really grew out of people’s appreciation of what I was bringing out of my head and into reality. I started making a privacy screen for my own house, and people liked it and asked me to make things for them. Suddenly, I had a part-time business. In 2006, I became a full-time artist.

What did you do before you became an artist?
I drove a semi truck, an 18-wheeler. That gave me a lot of time to think.

Have you had any formal training?
No. I have learned many aspects of what I do, including taking classes and reading books about how to run various equipment like the forge and English wheel, but I’ve had no formal artistic training. That doesn’t mean I’d never take an art class, but I haven’t yet. Interestingly enough, it’s mostly people in the field – gallery owners, professors, other artists – who tell me that not having formal training can be an advantage because I have no preconceptions. That lack of knowledge about the way things are “supposed to be” has allowed me to look at things very differently.

Where do you get your inspiration?
From nature. From sound. From some quiet hidden place deep inside that only seems to come out when I am totally focused on something, such as driving or working on the computer. If my mind is totally focused on one task my creative side seems to be able to run free. Red wine and dark chocolate help, too.

Why don’t you talk about the meaning of your art?
Art is a very personal thing. I believe art is the physical manifestation of emotion, so a piece of art that makes me feel happy might make you feel sad or confused. It’s very personal to each person.

Have you always lived in Arizona?
I was born in Connecticut in 1960 and have also lived in Florida, Misawa, Japan; Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean; and Yuma, Arizona. I’ve been an Arizona resident since 1973. The desert has had a big visual and visceral impact on me.

What does it feel like to make things?
It’s a release. I have an image in my mind of what I want a piece to look like. I have to deconstruct it or reverse engineer it to figure out how to make it. I have to allow the piece to evolve as I’m constructing it. And when I’m finally done, and can step back from a piece and put my tools down, there’s a great sense of release, almost like the release I get when I ride my motorcycle.

Why do you make so many different kinds of things?
I have so many different ideas in my mind. I think an artist shouldn’t be stuck making one type of art. Even if he’s good at that one thing, I believe in experimenting with different forms and shapes, materials and finishes, and allow my talents to run free. I’m always growing.

Why do you work with metal?
I find metal more forgiving than most other media. I can cut it and shape it and grind it and, if I make a mistake, I can weld over it and it looks as good as new. Working with wood, for example, you end up with a line where you make a correction. I also find it very challenging to take this hard, sometimes brittle material and make it do my bidding.

Do you have a favorite sculpture?
Torsional Twist. It was a very challenging piece. I think it turned out exceptionally well. I love the play of light over it, and I just enjoy looking at it. It’s not only a pleasure to look at, but it turned out the way I saw it in my mind - It’s one of the few pieces that didn’t evolve as I was making it. And when I look at it, it makes me happy.

Working with heat and wearing heavy protective clothing in such a hot place, how do you keep cool in the summer?
The way the Indians used to: I sweat.

What is your most challenging piece?
Möbius was the most challenging because it is so small and it twists so much. Torsional Twist is similar but, because it’s larger, it was easier to shrink and expand the metal. Being much smaller and having so much more of a twist, it was very difficult with Möbius to get the metal to do what I wanted it to do.

How often are in the studio?
I work 4-5 days a week in the studio. I sometimes do rendering in the office, but getting away, riding my motorcycle, being in nature is often as important for me as time spent in front of a monitor with my CAD program or in the studio with a torch in my hand.

Where do you see yourself heading?
Forward. Bigger pieces, more challenging, exciting pieces, learning new techniques to allow me to create new work.

Do you have a question for Kevin? Please contact him at info@kevincaron.com or call 602-952-8767. Thanks!