STEVE WIMAN
Artist Statement

I have lived and worked in Austin, Texas since 1991 as an antique dealer and an artist. I was born and raised in Snyder, Texas. From my family experience there, I learned the habits of thrift and saving. My mother saved everything that might be reused- bits of strings, twist ties, egg cartons, pieces of aluminum foil. I knew at an early age that I would be an artist, although my childhood idea of ?rtist was very limited. As a child, I always had a project going- bottle cutting, wood-burning, macram? tie dye, weaving, painting and drawing. These two urges- to collect and to create- merged over time into the artwork that I have made the past twenty five years. My found object assemblages are characterized by a reverence for the materials- using mundane or insignificant objects as found with little or no manipulation. Surface texture, genuinely distressed color and true patina are the elements that give my work it? rich formal beauty. Careful editing encourages the viewer to see these objects (often objects that are purely trash or throw away) with new eyes.

A lyrical sentimentality is also found in my day job. I am owner of Uncommon Objects, a small antique mall on South Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas. This junk mecca is full of a quirky selection of urban artifacts, antiques, collectibles, and raw materials for creative living.

My antique business, my art-making, and my life are bound together by a common goal- find beauty where you can and make the most of it.