Meet Orso Czerny: Multidisciplinary Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Orso Czerny and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Orso, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation? What does it mean to you / what do you like about it?
My personal mantra is: Nature is the true conductor, we are the notes, and the things we create are the bridges between. This concisely communicates the foundational philosophy of my multidisciplinary art praxis, my overall life perspective, and the point of entry and engagement where I position myself as an artist, conveying how I choose to walk among the world. It signifies we are as hollow bones, through which flow a multitude of messages about the essence of the creative force and the dynamics of the energy of life. That we are but a small part of the larger entity of what we term Nature and that our individuality is distinquished via varying notes and tones of the inexhaustible mysterious source – and that the ritual of creating connects us to the deeper meanings of being alive and what it truly means to be human – placing us at the center of the universe while simultaneously reinforcing our insignificance or nothingness – bridging the ideas of the sacred and profane – allowing us to see, experience and express the profound beautiful contradictions of our impermanence. 

Please tell us more about your career. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
The question about what sets me apart from others is a slippery slope, as I think the idea of originality and/or uniqueness is one of extreme subtlety, if it even exists. I think everything has already been said and done, we just recycle and reiterate the same fundamental questions that have existed since the beginning of our species: who are we, why are we here, what is our purpose, what is life, what is death? The ideas of originality or uniqueness come from reframing those questions in the voice an individual is given, discovering and following the blueprint we are each born with, and decoding its language, and then translating it into forms that others can understand. Communication. In doing this we connect to and pay homage to our human artistic lineages, claiming parts of it as our own from a grand pantheon of artists who have existed before and will come after we are gone. I place myself within the lineage reaching back to the ancient caves where our species created what can be considered the first multidisciplinary pieces. This allows me to move forward in the role of a contemporary archaic ambassador of the in between, illuminating the exquisite vulnerabilities of perceptions through a language imbued with intuition and dream, transforming beliefs I hold in relation to life, and particularly to the making of art: that from the moment we are born, from the moment we take our first breath of air and are no longer breathing liquid, we begin to forget our deepest connections to the universe, to all of life, to what some call the secrets/mysteries of creation. From that point on we enter a dual phase, as we begin to grow and age, being forced through the societal and cultural systems we create to distance ourselves from that mystery, while at the same time developing various creative tools to try to remember our “oneness” within a new context, that enables a fusing of worlds, of perceptions, of experiences and connections. Art, in its many forms, is the vehicle that allows this connection and remembering to the universe, that touches the very epicenter, and is the very energetic act of creation itself, or as Joseph Beuys puts it: Art is the only discipline which touches the epistemological themes of human kinds consciousness and the problem of freedom. My art practices help my ability to remember, and I only hope that the art I am adding to this lineage can help others along this epic human journey as well.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, it depends on the interests of the friend visiting… I would tailor the choices accordingly. Generally speaking I would take them on many of the hiking trails within Dallas and in close vicinity, two examples being the North shore trail and Dogwood Canyon. Enjoy time at cafes and bookshops such as Deep Vellum Books, get a great variety of amazing tacos at Revolver, hear some good jazz or blues at The Balcony Club, some famous chicken fried steak at All Good Cafe, wander around the Nasher Sculpture Center and Dallas Museum of Art, and check out whatever show is at contemporary art gallery Site131, as they consistently show interesting work, and round it out with some great local wine and food at Checkered Past Winery.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are in reality a multitude, too many to include, from teachers and mentors, to the first gallerists who showed my work, and all others who have offered opportunities to exhibit and share and dialogue, as well as all the collectors of my work and those whom have shown appreciation in other ways… The short list is: my mother, for encouraging creativity from my earliest memory. My two sisters, Wura Ogunji and Darcie Book, both as incredible and inspirational Artists and woman. My dear old friends, Artist Richard Castaneda and Poet/Artist Sherwin Bitsui for being there and sharing through all of life’s changes. And my lover, best friend, creative collaborator, amazing woman and Artist Vittoria Colonna, for embracing this mysteriously beautiful adventure of life together.

Website: https://aaronczerny.com/home.html
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orsoczerny/
Other: https://vimeo.com/user23141810