I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Chad Kessler is a web-thinker. It wouldn’t be a very shaky limb, since I spent an hour with him in the delightful funhouse known as 451 Spirits, tucked away in the back of an old commercial building on Oakland Park Avenue, somewhere between Indianola and the railroad tracks. To me it feels liminal, and this nebulous state seems an appropriate way to set the stage for introducing you to this sort of Renaissance man, this self-proclaimed “nerd by nature,” this “DIY artist,” as he liked to call himself—not autodidactic, not self-taught, not outsider.
Chad grew up in West Jefferson, just about 20 miles west of Columbus. He was always interested in art as a kid, but the major influences that would drive his art production came when he was about 11 or 12, and was introduced to skateboard culture. Closely tied to that was Punk Rock, and the accompanying dominant DIY ethos, which Chad describes as “rough around the edges.” His being influenced by Ed Templeton and the “Beautiful Losers” is something he shared with his good friend Chris Cropper (make sure to check out my earlier interview with Chris). Chad’s parents were pretty much accepting of all of this. “I still have all my teen angst, because I had nothing to rebel against.”
Chad’s aesthetic developed further after a trip to San Francisco in 2005, a couple of years after high school. He said the combination of getting out of Central Ohio, meeting a poet, and reading Kerouac had an influence on him. Sometime shortly after that (between 2004 and 2008—he was sketchy on the exact year), he was sitting in a bar in the Short North, “either Betty’s or Surly Girl, I can’t remember which,” and looked over next to him where a guy named John had a stack of canvases. It was then that he first got the idea to start selling work in the Short North, selecting a spot on a stoop or sidewalk, and selling what he could, until the Short North Started requiring permits to sell on the street.
When we started looking at Chad’s art, he explained that he works in primarily two ways: either from a clear concept at the beginning, or organically, letting the work develop as it progresses. He uses a variety of techniques, often starting with a background of drips and splatters, somewhat reminiscent of Jackson Pollock. The images incorporated can be a combination of things, clearly demonstrating the influence of Punk Rock DIY concert flyers and zines, often having a “cut and paste” aesthetic. Originally Chad built on his skill as a photographer, and used a lot of image transfer process. When he found that to be too time consuming and tedious, he transitioned more and more into collage work.
Chad loves tinkering with “dead technology.” He is not currently playing in a band, but every so often, he and his friend Steven Bell (a.k.a. “Stev Bev”) get together and perform weird electronic improv, calling themselves “CzechsForSEX!!!” This duo was born as a joke in a CCAD basement noise show. The name of the venue was “Crackhouse.”
Chad’s got a thing for vintage cameras, especially Russian, but his pride and joy is his Mamiya RB67 single lens reflex. He wanted to take my portrait with it, but was out of film. We will have to save that for another day. His love for vintage photography also includes Polaroid, sometimes combining the images in unconventional ways with other media.
What have I left out about DIY artist Chad Kessler? Probably a lot—that explosion that happened in my brain could barely contain everything that transpired in our sixty minutes together; like the importance of 83 Gallery, or the influence of Ralph Steadman on his work, or the large paint knife from the home improvement store that helps create those gorgeous, expressive backgrounds. You get the picture…or maybe at least a bit of it.
Where is Chad going with his world of art/music/spirits? He wants to give a little more attention to the art portion, and build on some of the projects he’s already started, like a gallery wall, and the artwork label for 451’s “Blank Canvas” vodka. One thing for sure: Chad’s work can often be seen, tasted and heard at 451 Spirits.