Episode 96: Nick Schnitzer - Creating Our Future

Austin Art Talk

"Let’s continue to make beautiful things. Let’s respect ourselves and think about the future. Let’s make some money. Let’s be generous with our money. Let’s protect ourselves and the planet. Let’s be more responsible. Let’s be more grateful."

Nick Schnitzer is very passionate about art and helping artists thrive. That's in addition to his love of architecture, woodworking, teaching and mentoring young people, travel, his family, and most of all living an aware, considerate, humble, and generative life. He's a talented and capable craftsperson who can design and create almost anything he puts his mind and body into. His public art and exhibitions often highlight environmental and political challenges and strive to build community and connect people and ideas towards a goal of improving their lives and raising awareness of important issues in our culture and society. I love Nick's energy, focus, integrity, and the way he strives to improve himself and those around him. He has a big heart and it's very obvious in the interview. Please enjoy!

Nick with his daughter Edie Rose.
Nick's website about text

"As modern technology leads to increased connection to the world, we’ve never been more disconnected from each other. I create sculpture and site-specific architectural works that seek to create new modes of empathic communication – to use technology to augment the way we interact; to break down the barriers that exist between people; and to provide an emotional overlay so we can more deeply understand each other as people. By subjecting objects and people to various scientific and relational processes, I construct a dialogue that questions our relationship to the material world, our internal psychological landscapes, and our very dynamic planet. I’m most interested in the things we hide, repress, and deny, as I believe these to be our greatest gifts. Swiss psychologist Carl Jung theorizes that in order to become fully engaged with ourselves, each other, and the world we live in, we must learn to incorporate things that can be difficult to grasp. I appeal to our vanity and curiosity, often through the use of reflective surfaces, interactive technology, and traditional construction techniques. In an increasingly complex world, the minimal nature of the work is tailored to create a focused experience for the viewer, resulting in a contemplative moment of careful consideration amongst the surrounding chaos."
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Intro music generously provided by Stan Killian

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Links:

• Nick Schnitzer
• Nick Schnitzer (@big_bismuth) • Instagram
• Big Bismuth
• Dimension Gallery Austin, TX
• The Art of Finance | Financial Advisor | A fee only Financial Planning firm dedicated to helping creative minds negotiate the complexities of personal finance.
• Calder Kamin
• Cultural Funding | AustinTexas.gov
• Creative Standard — Big Medium
• Sarah Presson - Eye Like Design - A Creative and Web Agency in Austin, TX
• Sarah Presson
• Amala Foundation
• Totally Cool Totally Art | AustinTexas.gov