5 | Your Junk, My Art with David Cox

This episode features an engaging conversation with David Cox, an assemblage sculptor who repurposes piano keys and other materials into unique sculptures. He discusses the importance of having a dedicated creative space, the challenges of identifying himself as an artist, and the pride he feels in his work, particularly his “piano phoenix” sculpture, which helps people preserve sentimental items. David also shares insights into his creative process, his reliance on community support, and the value of organisation as an artist. The episode explores themes of transformation, creative evolution, and the power of community in the creative process.

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CREDITS

Created and Hosted by Alexis Naylor

Music by Alexis Naylor & Ruby Miguel

Edited and Produced by Ruby Miguel

00:09 - Alexis (Host)

Hello, my name is Alexis Naylor and I am your host here at Through the Creative Door. On behalf of myself and my guests, I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians on which this podcast is recorded and produced. Owners and custodians on which this podcast is recorded and produced. May we pay our respects to all First Nations people and acknowledge Elders, past and present. On this podcast, I'll be chatting to an array of creative guests, getting a glimpse into their worlds and having some honest and inspiring conversations along the way. I'm delighted to welcome you to Through the Creative Door. 

Oh, my goodness, David Cox. Welcome to Through the Creative Door. 

00:56 - David (Guest)

Thank you for having me. I deny everything that has been said about me before, except the good stuff. 

01:04 - Alexis (Host)

All the good stuff, you come highly recommended oh gosh, that's worrying no, it's not somebody talking about. You are such a talented bear, my goodness um for those listening. We are sitting in your studio, it is absolutely glorious, with all these beautiful piano keys and trinkets and wood and, oh my goodness, so many things. 

01:34 - David (Guest) 

 You're sitting next to half a bag of concrete at the moment it's a variety

01:45 - Alexis (Host) 

It's a spice of life. 

01:48 - David (Guest)

Yeah, in here primarily piano keys. I think there's about 23 different pianos worth of piano keys in here at the moment, which seems to be my usual medium as an assemblage sculptor. 

02:00 - Alexis (Host)

I'm going to launch into the first question. 

02:02 - David (Guest)

Oh yeah, questions, Questions, shoot. 

02:08 - Alexis (Host)

What does a creative space mean to you? 

02:13 - David (Guest)

Well, you're sitting in it at the moment and it is assumed as much. A bit of a mess. I think there's two answers to that. For me, there's an element of practicality, so I'm currently surrounded by tools and sawdust and mess. So having a dedicated space to work on, particularly because I'm building large-ish sculptures like the size of a door, I can't do that on my kitchen bench, I can't do that on the coffee table or the bedroom floor or whatever. I think I'd be single very fast. 

02:52 - Alexis (Host) 

You don't think your wife would approve?

02:57 - David (Guest)

There's some patience there, but understandably that can only go so far. So, yeah, having a dedicated is is vital for my work. That's obviously going to vary for, uh, for perhaps for a watercolor painter, for example, you might be able to sit in that that sunny corner of the of the house and and paint, and that that would actually look really smart. But, uh, but I can't do that in the house. So there's definitely that practical element Noise as well. Actually I can't do that in the house. 

03:30

So the other half really is I don't like the phrase man cave. I think I started coining a phrase of like man cave, she shared they space. A phrase of like man cave, she shared they space. But anyway, I I think having a, a space for me to come to and change gears, like I used to commute in and out of the city every day. But now I walk out of my house and I turn left. My wife turns right, she goes and works from the tiny house in the driveway. I turn left and I walk into my studio and it's a gear changer, a chapter changer, a palate cleanser or whatever you see it as. So for me, I change clothes, I put on my my work gear and I come to work, even though I realize I piss fart around in a shed. So yeah, the practical side of not messing up my house or my relationship, uh and and having, uh, having that palate cleanser, I suppose.  

04:41 - Alexis (Host)

Beautiful, well said said. Now, as a creative being I mean you've mentioned you know how your sculptures have come to fruition, so this question could be about sculptures. But actually, as a creative being, you have lots of ventures, so could be anything what is something that you're most proud of creating and how did it come about? 

05:04 - David (Guest)

I know you were leading there with. I've certainly played music in the past and recorded music and toured and that's all been fun, but that's always been collaborative, whereas I think for the sculpture I was referring to earlier, which I I now, I now know as a phoenix, which I think is apt for a piano coming back to life or or whatever you want to call it, uh, I, I, I feel quite proud of that, I think because of that moment that I mentioned earlier, where I could have just done this the way that I'd planned on it, but instead there was that something happened, something mystical and wonderful. 

05:57 - Alexis (Host)

The stars aligned. 

06:07 - David (Guest)

I feel, because it's a, when I go and hang it on a customer's wall and they bawl their eyes out usually because they're happy not from what I've done to their grandmother's piano there's a real feeling of I've done something important here, I've been able to help them avoid having to take that to the tip and but we can keep it and it's important to us, but we can't have it anymore. So in terms of pride, yeah, I feel that that design has been able to help me de-stress some people in some way. So, yes, I'd say my piano phoenix design. 

06:55 - Alexis (Host)

Yeah, how wonderful, what a privilege to be able to give that gift. 

07:01 - David (Guest)

Yeah, yeah, seems strange, but I'm happy with that one Love it. 

07:07 - Alexis (Host)

On the flip side of things that you're proud of, is there something that's challenged your creativity over the years and, if so, how do you think you've mitigated that? 

07:25 - David (Guest)

I don't think I've ever considered myself an artist. 

07:29 - Alexis (Host)

What. 

07:29 - David (Guest)

I know that. So so I've. This is all quite new to me. It's been the last couple of years. Uh, you probably speak to a lot of people who have had a change in life during, during COVID um, me commuting in and out of the city and then all of a sudden, I'm stranded in the Dandenong Ranges, poor me, surrounded by rusty gold. It gave me that opportunity to try something new, but I'd never considered myself an artist. I guess I've always seen an artist as someone who sits down at an easel and paints, or now I fall into the category of an assemblage sculptor. But what is a sculptor? I see a sculptor as someone who's dedicated their life learning how to carve marble or throw pottery or do sculpting stuff. Me, I take old junk and glue it together in a shape that is enjoyable. 

08:38

So I think I've always struggled with that idea of being an artist and doing it full-time, I might add as well. That's that. That's a strange, a strange situation to find myself in, having come from your normal nine-to-five office job to now, yeah, being an artist. It just it's. It seems weird. So I think I've struggled with that and in terms of mitigating it, I so I've. I think I've struggled with that and in terms of mitigating it, uh, I think I've. In recent years, I've tried to surround myself with, um, supportive, constructive, uh creatives as well. Um, yeah, yeah, I think having having the right people around you can change your mindset significantly. So I still struggle with that, but it's a long and winding road. 

09:33 - Alexis (Host)

I think the beautiful thing about creative souls is being able to have an idea out of nothing and then being able to facilitate it. So, however you, whatever medium, however you can do that, there's a gift in that that is a true artist of having an idea from nothing and following it through. 

09:59 - David (Guest)

Yeah, yeah. And now for me, I get asked semi-regularly so what's next? What are you going to do? I think I've done 60 of these now, so for 60 customers in a few different countries as well, but that's been my bread and butter, I guess, over the last couple of years. So what's next couple of years? So what's next? So, uh, I'm currently working on trying to bring them, bring my sculptures, down off the wall and and turn them into a, into a 3d sculpture rather than 2d. So, uh, so yeah, there's some, some works in progress going on there. 

10:38

it's all a bit uh, all a bit new, but it's nice to step into to a new space anyway, into a proper, instead of moving from, I guess, a decor sculpture to a middle of the room with water, fountain-y things and lights and lasers. 

11:05 - Alexis (Host)

I love it. Now i