Daily Inspiration: Meet Dylan King

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dylan King.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. As far back as I can remember my mom placed me, my brother, and sister in art classes, but what really changed my thoughts about creating was when I first heard of our city’s public arts magnet school, Booker T. Washington high school. I knew that it was where I needed to go. I immediately enrolled in an art class designed to create pieces for a portfolio and assignments to fill a sketchbook for the 4-part interview process to get into the school.

I consistently learned about processes that expanded my creative possibilities, learning welding & metalwork, ceramics, printmaking, and jewelry making, also expanding my knowledge of drawing and painting, from many amazing teachers like Eva Kutscheid and Nancey Miller. During my junior year, college reps pitched to us and the one that really stood out to me was the Kansas City Art Institute. I knew this was where I needed to go. Staying in touch with the reps as a senior I was invited to attend a summer program through KCAI in New York City.

That was where I met Russell Ferguson and a small group of students who were my first introduction to the arts college. After my first year at Kansas City art institute, and an ever creatively expanding foundation year I attended a ceramics study abroad program in Kecskemét, Hungary with George Timok. Here was my first introduction to molds learning from a master plaster mold maker for slip casting. Coming back, I decided to enter the sculpture program where I learned new processes and continued my knowledge of others, parallel to studying art history and collaborating with digital artists, painters, sculptors and printmakers. During my senior year I had a group show at the Vulpes Bastille Gallery in the crossroads with Brandon Kintzer and Steven Zelnio, making an installation show that we were all proud of.

After graduating, I began working a full-time fulfillment job, and had over a year of small monthly sponsored art shows until the gallery closed. I found a small historical restoration company and, learning from Dave Boux, discovered techniques that sparked a passion for the preservation of traditional methods that are noticeably scarce today. Spending 5 years now in the field, between laboring, I have had the opportunity to hand-sculpt, cast, and install more than a few architectural pieces in the city with two separate companies.

I have personally had commissioned pieces the past few years such as getting to work on a large corbel sculpt for the front door of the JC Nichols House near the plaza, and most recently, a pair of 6 ft. custom sculpted plaster spiral column floor lamps made for the design studio SWOON (based in Dallas) for their redesign of the Vanderbilt mansion in Newport, Rhode Island. I started my company Found Space Studios to handle these commissions, but I have also been making my own personal work to sell, as well as continuing to collaborate with artists I know and admire. I hope to continue fabricating and creating for anyone that needs it. Hit me up!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been relatively smooth growing and learning through the years, even when it was not there were always places I could express myself through art and surrounding myself with creative people. But being in my first year of my personal business the challenges now are a much different can of worms. Marketing myself, sales, and commissions, trying to fill in the gaps, building my work so I can make a living off of what I love to do is going to be a challenge, but I think it will be worth the stress in the long run.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a multidisciplined artist and fabricator that has been trained in ornamental plasterwork, sculpture, and mold making. as well as academic training in the fine arts, I work in plaster, cement, paint, collage, and printmaking I am passionate about creative processes and I work in almost any medium possible and stay versatile when I can. My latest products are based in traditional methods like running plaster crown moldings and mold making and showing that these can be marketable to interior designers, as well as in the historical restoration field when it is required.

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
The YouTube Channel Adam Savage’s Tested has been a huge inspiration for years. and Instagram just from following designers, artist and plaster workers from Egypt, Spain, Australia, and Canada, back to St. Louis. As for studio, my music taste is vast and the only podcast I have been listening to for the past 5 or 6 years is the Last Podcast on the Left. I have learned having something playing to really lose myself in the work prevents most distractions.

Pricing:

• 55 1/2 in. tall Classical Plaster Spiral Column -$800
• 6 in. wide Plaster Incense Tray -$30 (Handpainted-$50)
• 9 in. tall Lutzk x King Porcelain Vessel – $300-$650
• 15 in. Plaster Octagonal Carving – $60

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.foundspacestudios.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/found_space_studios/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Found-Space-Studios/100071545973669/
• Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/FoundSpaceStudios?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=1058261969

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