Today we’d like to introduce you to Dylan Marx.
Hi Dylan, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m a musician and woodcarver. My father was a bugler for the Colonial Downs Racetrack in New Kent, Virginia, where I spent most of my childhood. On weekends, I’d go see him blow the horn for the races and was mesmerized by the fanfare. I think this must be what got me into music: the sound of the horn and the excitement of the crowd, all melding together into one transfixing bout of ecstasy. The horn, with its limited range of notes, must have had an effect on my interest in minimalism, and it’s symbiotic relationship to the noise of the crowd must have informed my love of music sitting in its environment, the speaker becoming one with the ambient sounds of it’s location.
Later I moved to Glendale in Los Angeles, and fell in love with the light. I’d collect objects found on street corners left for trash pickup, take them home and give them new life. This started my found sculpture practice, but over time, I began to be on the lookout for good wood, which I’d later carve into faces or puppets. Slowly, these puppets began to work their way into my music, to the point where I found the two hard to distinguish from one another. One could argue that the puppets are the musicians, not me, and I am merely a vessel for their creation.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been anything but a smooth road, but what is life without a few twists and turns? Over the years, I’ve learned to embrace the chaos and turn it into the work itself. These puppets come from trash, or from fallen trees, they have no directive, they are simply willed into being. If it was a smooth road, it’s likely these puppets wouldn’t exist at all, and I’d find myself shackled by some 9-5 somewhere in the midwest, in a loveless marriage, two kids I no longer recognize, a purposeless life. Not for me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in music and puppetry, but the two are deeply intertwined. I’m most proud of the ephemeral nature of my work. Some of these puppets only live long enough for one performance, if that. I am grateful to be able to transform them from trash or nature into art and life, however brief that moment may be. Nothing sets me apart from others; we are all part of this grand machine, coalescing into shocks of life before returning to the clay.
What matters most to you?
Air, raw material, and the harmony of birds and traffic.
