Southeastern visual arts alumni John Atkins and Zach Slough have been busy using their skills to create unique pieces of art before earning their bachelor’s degrees in spring 2014.
Less than a year after graduating, Atkins and Slough’s artwork was featured in an exhibit in Covington, but their success was not a surprise. During their undergraduate studies, Atkins and Slough both made commission off their original artwork.
While in one of his advanced sculpture courses, Atkins created a series of small kinetic viewer interactive sculptures using scrap materials including car parts, fishing accessories, a truck horn and boat propeller. These pieces were showcased in Hyde Gallery on campus, and then the props department of popular TV show “American Horror Story: Freakshow” contacted him after seeing the pieces on Etsy.
“They purchased the remaining twelve pieces in that series, and they were part of the second part of episode three in that season as the creations of the show’s killer clown Twisty,” said Atkins. “This was a great opportunity for me because I got to work with their props department and edit my artworks myself to fit the theme of the show, giving the works a new life and permanent home.”
Slough, who concentrated in sculpture, was commissioned during his undergraduate studies to create a special bronze plaque of Deputy Oneal Moore for the Washington County Sheriff’s Department. The plaque was part of a memorial wall for deputies who died in the line of duty since the department’s founding, and Moore was the only unsolved murder of a deputy.
At the end of their senior year, Slough and Atkins were approached by theater professor Steve Schepker about the upcoming Opera/Musical Theatre Workshop production of “Sweeney Todd.”
Slough’s primary task was the design and construction of the chair, trap door and slide. He designed the chair to be true to the title character and the overall aesthetic of the production.
“I chose to view the chair as if it were a character in the play with its own layers of subtext,” said Slough. “[I gave it] large filigree-implied letters spelling out the initials S.T. on each side of the chair, a razor strop with the initials B.B. [Benjamin Barker] at the top as a nod to Todd’s past, and an aggressive cleaver-like handle to activate the chair’s collapsing mechanism, as well as layers of grunge designed to give the chair an aged appearance.”
Atkins teamed up with Slough to make the oversized blood-squirting straight razors for “Sweeney Todd.” The artists have also created pieces for other theater productions including “Beware the Licorice Vines” and the recent “Peter and Tink.” The pair said watching these productions performed live was as exciting and nerve-wracking as debuting art in a gallery.
Atkins said his degree is proof that he can follow through and finish a big project, and Slough felt the connections they made during their undergraduate studies were invaluable to their art careers.
“My time in college acquiring my degree has been more helpful to me than the actual piece of paper [diploma],” said Slough. “I made a lot of connections with people who work in various art fields and was able to demonstrate a strong work ethic and a skill level, which has opened several career opportunities.”
Fellow sculpture alumna Maggie McConnell recommended that Atkins and Slough submit a proposal for their current exhibition “Plank and Feather” at the St. Tammany Art Association, which was approved and opened on April 11.
The inspiration for the exhibit’s name “Plank and Feather” came from the two artists’ distinct styles of art. Atkin’s architectural-type work is made from small pieces of wood or planks, and Slough’s sculptures typically include handmade metal feathers.
Although the artists usually work separately, the entryway displays their collaborative piece “Clusterflock,” made of aluminum, found objects, wood, paper and acrylic.
“Going to look at artwork in a gallery or museum is simply another experience that can yield good or bad results, depending on your preference for the work,” said Atkins. “Personally, my work reminds me of the well-worn patina on my hand-me-down pocket knives, the beautiful exterior of old buildings and the grittiness and age of old trees. What I want people to take away from my artwork is really an appreciation for their surroundings and how interesting everything is.”
In the fall, Slough and Atkins will both be continuing their education at the University of Texas San Antonio in their Masters of Fine Arts program. For now, their work can be viewed at the “Plank and Feather” exhibition at the St. Tammany Art Association in Covington through May 23.