Make A Statement: An Interview With Dolan Geiman
Sitting down with world-renowned artist and Fringe Scarf collaborator, Dolan Geiman, felt like a mix of going to cowboy church, studying at The School of Rock with Jack Black, and packing up for an REI outdoor adventure class.
Below, we bring you a few highlights from our conversation with Dolan, and are confident you will enjoy it as much as we did. In fact, you’ll probably want to sit down and share a cup of coffee with him. Maybe we can make that happen around the campfire one day. What do you think, Dolan?
How Did You Become a Collage Artist?
“Let’s start at the beginning. I grew up in rural Virginia. My mom was an artist, and during the day, she would let me, my brother, and my sister out into the wild. I can’t even imagine this happening today. She would tell us to be back by the time it was dark, and we would just walk around with our backpacks and be out all day. I don’t even know what we ate, probably Yoo-Hoo and Doritos!
We would go to a creek where there were all these old, abandoned farmhouses. The roofs were gone, birds and raccoons lived in those homes. We would treasure-hunt in a sense, pick up what we found,
and bring them home. My mom, being a creative person, would say, 'Wow, those are cool treasures, let’s think about what we could do with those.’
Overtime, I began to piece some of these treasures together in different ways.
I got more into collage during high school and when I went to college, my peers were always going to the art supply store. I was broke and thought to myself, ‘Oh, I know where to go for supplies.’ So, a buddy and I would go on road trips when everyone else was partying. We’d find old abandoned houses and search for materials. One time we found an 1800s antique bed frame that we carried out of this house, cut it down, made sculptures with it, and painted on it.
We made things out of found materials all the time. My collage art really began as a result of these adventures.”
Tell Us About The Phase of Your Career When You Sold Art on the Streets of Chicago
“My career began selling art on the streets of Chicago. At this time, I made much smaller pieces of art.
I was broke a lot, so I'd make something people didn't have to think about very hard in order to get money quickly - like a $5 painting. I wore a vest, a tie, a cowboy hat, and I'd walk the street, sit down in front of a coffee shop, ask if I could sell my art there for the day, open my suitcases, and say
“Come check out the best artwork you've never seen!”
I was interested in scientific illustrations and old books that had ‘moments’ in them. Like when you open a book and it has handwriting that says ‘I love Judy’ or ‘This book belongs to Christopher Wallace.’ There’s spilled coffee and a little bug smashed in the pages. I wanted to create those moments. I made a lot of sketches - art hiccups - about these moments.
Here’s how I think about it, and just go with me because this is a weird example. Let’s say, someone takes the Bible and puts it in a display case. I mean, it is a sacred book, but I always thought that since it is the Bible, you should have it with you all the time. It should be worn, thrown in your backpack, it should be lived. I had that feeling about my artwork. I wanted people to know my art was a real piece of something.
I worked in books a lot in the beginning. I'd go to the Chicago Public Library dumpster - they throw out books. I would find all these beautiful leather bound books and start painting in there. The canvas had already been marred and already had a life.
In Chicago, sometimes I'd make $10, some days $50, other days, someone would steal all my artwork. I did this for a year or two. I’d go out every 3-4 days. That was my job - to set up my suitcases, talk to people and sell art. I lived moment to moment.”
How Did You Find Yourself in the Western Industry?
“Between the ages of 7 and 11, we’d go to my grandmother's house in the summers. She had some of my granddad’s things there; he was a big game hunter and traveled all over the West. I’d sit in her hammock in the summer and flip through all these magazines - Outdoor Living, Western Horseman, etc. - and voraciously read all the stories from cover to cover. I was enamored with the adventure of the West. I wanted to know: How big is the West? Where did it start? How do I get there?
Once I got to Chicago, I thought I needed to build up my treasure chest so I could put it on my horse and ride into the West!
The West is such a huge part of our collective history. People all over the world talk about the Wild West, and it’s not any less wild to me now than it was 100 years ago. Sure, there are more people now, but there’s places I've hiked into that I don't think anyone has ever been to. Just the elk, moose, and coyotes.
The Western theme has always been an undercurrent that has guided my work.”
How and Why Did You Align Yourself with Fringe Scarves?
“99% of my audience already knew about Fringe Scarves, and it made a ton of sense aesthetically. What I love is that the scarf, or the bandana, is a signature item in the West. You have your hat, your boots, and your scarf, and those three items make up the cowboy/cowgirl lifestyle.
The scarf has so much history, including how they used to be made and hand-dyed. To be a part of the scarf’s continued history in the West is an honor for me. Let’s just say it was a very exciting moment when Fringe reached out to collaborate.”
On Telling Stories With Art and Finding Inspiration
“My mother was such a huge influence on my creative ability. Everything she explained to us when we were kids was animated.
We would be walking and I'd kick a rock. She would tell me to go get it and put it back where it was because I just kicked off the roof on an ant’s house.
Everything had a personality and a life to it.
I was raised to believe that things are connected. That a rock and a stick has a life to it. How could it not? I mean, think of a rock that has sat underneath the edge of a mountain in the shadows for 1,000 years. How could that thing not have an energy to it?
When I go out to find material for art, everything already has a life to it. There's already a story. Take a tape measure, for instance, think about the hundreds of hands it has been in.
I go out at least once a week looking for stuff. If I am not out in the woods at least once a week, I am unbearable to be around. It’s like a wild animal. I can scratch around inside for a bit and then everyone thinks, ‘We need to let him out. He’s getting wild.’”
How Does Your Process Work?
“Most commonly, I see an image in my head of what I want to create. Then I go out and look for materials. It’s like grocery shopping for ingredients.
Sometimes I have materials that I save for years, and then I'm working on something and realize that these treasures I've been keeping - well, secretly hoarding - would be perfect!
My pieces take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. For large scale pieces, I start with lots of energy and then I need to stop for a week or so and not look at it.
It is very much like getting into a new relationship. You’re dating someone new and having the best time and then all of a sudden you need a break for a minute, and then you come back and realize they are still really cool.
I usually have about 7-10 pieces going at a time. I can’t just have one thing going. It's how my brain works. And I think it started when I was getting going in Chicago. I needed inventory to sell, so I was always creating lots of pieces.”
What’s Next For You?
“I’m excited to share more of my story with people and keep expanding my creations. I'm not just a collage artist, I'm not just a sculptor. I am an artist with a capital A.
I don't want to just show up with the food I prepared for the table. I want to build the room, bring the rug in, make the table, and set the whole scene. This is my recent goal. I want to do all of it.
I want people to know that there is a story to my brand, I am a real person, and the art I make comes from a place of exploration.
In fact, I have had lots of failed experiments. I have many memories of looking at the end result, thinking, ‘This is nothing like what I wanted it to look like. This is garbage. Actually, this is literally a pile of garbage.’
My wife helps keep me focused. I'm a helium balloon and she has the string. I'm out here doing this and that, and she directs me back. I'm always like ‘How about we do this?,’ and she's like, ‘No, how about over here?’”
Is There Anything You Would Like to Tell a Fringe Scarf Wearer?
“Life is really short. Make a bold statement. Fringe Scarves are a really cool way to make a bold statement. Outside of what I have been honored to make for Fringe, there are so many cool options. Art is functional and it lets you extend your personality. Make a statement in your own way, for yourself.
Life is short, hell, you might as well wear three scarves!”
We couldn’t agree more. Shop Dolan Geiman Fringe Scarves here.
