Q AND ART: Logan Maakestad
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
Welcome to Q and Art, where we ask local artists the same set of questions then they give us the name of the next artist to interview. In this interview, we talk to Logan Maakestad.
1) Tell us a little about your background.
I grew up all over the US, from Arizona to Florida, Idaho then Texas, and finally here in Pennsylvania. I'm also from a family of 7 kids, so there was never any sort of routine or familiarity with my environment. I found a lot of comfort in drawing, it sort of grounded me from the chaos. We moved about 22 times by the time I went to school (The University of the Arts). It's funny cause I always wanted to go into medicine, figuring that the money I'd make could create some sort of stability for me and my family. After only a year of pre-med I gave up that vision, and ended up just going with my gut and doing what I'd always loved, even though until that point I'd only ever considered art a hobby.
2) What are you currently working on?
Right now I've been preparing for a residency at Uarts in the fall. A lot of my work starts with planning and research, not a lot of hands on stuff till the very end, so I'm trying to do a lot of prep before I get back into the studio. I've been playing with digital technologies like CAD and photography. I love the play between these modern applications and traditional craft processes, which I studied in school (glass, ceramics and weaving/fibers specifically).
3) What's your favorite thing to eat locally?
I'll eat anywhere! Really though the perfect day of food in Philly would start with a good brunch at Sam's Morning Glory, banh mi from Nam Son (Washington and 16th) , and pizza from Tacconelli's. I'd somehow fit in some macarons from Audabon Bakeshop, maybe a coffee at Menagerie Coffee... there's way too many places to pick from, but this is what I'm craving right now.
4) What's your favorite thing to do in this area?
My favorite thing to do is just walk around with friends; there are a bunch of great comic book stores in this city, so I try and make a rotation to my favorites (Brave New Worlds, Fat Jack's Comicrypt, and Atomic City Comics). Philadelphia has so many amazing public art projects, but my favorite spot is definitely James Turrell's Chestnut Hill Skyspace, check it out at sunset, or sunrise if you can get out of bed.
5) Give us your insider tip to the city.
Trust no one.
I'm kidding, someone dared me to say that. Actually my tip would be to do the opposite, early on I was way too nervous to chat with any stranger in the city, but I've found that people from the Northeast are especially comfortable holding a conversation with someone they've never met before. It's intimidating at times, especially when getting random comments on the streets, but refreshing from the polite indifference of the South.
6) And finally, pick the next local local artist for us to interview.
Kara Sankus.
Where to find Logan Maakestad
Website: loganmaakestad.com
instagram: @justmako
tumblr: loganmaakestad.tumblr.com
