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 it'll be interesting whether. I'm very curious to see where you go with this answer. But do you have an object or a thing that you can't live without when you're creating, and it could be like something sentimental or something super practical? 

 

11:30 - David (Guest)

Yeah, I don't think I've got an awesome answer for this. I don't have magical socks or superstitious underwear or the likes. I have surrounded myself, as I say, with my trinkets and rusty gold, which so a lot of people might, a lot of artists might, have a picture in their head and I really want to do this, and then they'll figure out how to do it For me. I've tried to surround myself with the elements that I usually include in my work, and then I'll try this and I'll try that, and I'll throw a bunch of different things at a piece until something fits the way that I want it to. So I've certainly surrounded myself with that magic, but that's not my answer. Uh, I, I love my calendar, uh, so as in a physical calendar. 

 

12:32

so I, I, I don't need a um, I don't use an existing. I take a piece of paper and I, I draw it all up, um, and then I organize everything, uh, so that that I'm sure you probably speak to artists all the time and if you ever talk to them about deadlines, particularly for exhibitions or for client submissions or commissions or whatnot, the last minute rush is a big thing for people and I despise feeling that people and I despise feeling that. So for me, I like to be well ahead and well organized so that things happen well and I feel like I'm presenting myself in a more professional manner. So for me, I would have to say it's my calendar. I feel comfort looking at it and adjusting it. Uh, that's like a really weird thing to say fantastic. 

 

13:27 - Alexis (Host)

And so when you say that you draw, it is it like one big month at a time, or is it weekly, or is it like no, normally monthly, but at the moment we're coming into silly season for exhibitions, so over easter, uh, etc. 

 

13:43 - David (Guest)

Um, there there's a lot happening. I think I'm in four or five exhibitions over the Easter period, so everything needs, I need places. I've got places to be. I need to deliver then and pick up there and have that there, but I want it for another exhibition later on, so I can't have that there and this there. Anyway, it's a jumble of strings and lines and whatnot. 

 

14:04 - Alexis (Host)

I love it and and like, how big is this calendar? 

 

14:07 - David (Guest)

not very. I'll try and keep it a3 or smaller I'll see. 

 

14:11 - Alexis (Host)

I image in my mind is like the size of like a door. I was like I'm up here for it. I love it. 

 

14:16 - David (Guest)

If I join them all up over the year, then yeah, I guess it would be so. Yeah, but I'm being organized now. No, no lucky socks for me, but, um, being organized and however that needs to, needs to look I love it 

 

14:40 - Alexis (Host)

If you could give one piece of advice, one nugget of gold to another creative, what would it be? 

 

14:41 - David (Guest)

community is going to be going to be vital for anyone who's wanting to well, getting second opinions, getting connected through not even galleries, like exhibiting work, is nice, but I think at the initial stages it's really just having someone around you who's going to be supportive, who can share ideas I mean, friends nearby don't work in the same medium as me, but we're always able to bounce ideas off each other and, yeah, having constructive people around you. There's always going to be dickheads, but that's just our species. But I think if you can find the good souls, then yeah, keep them close. Community is vital. 

 

15:35 - Alexis (Host)

Well said, well said. Yeah, none of us find our way on our own. Yeah, it's totally with others. Yeah yeah, own, yeah, it's totally with others. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Extra question if someone wanted to develop their creative process and sort of do what you do, would you have any advice on any resources, um anything that you'd recommend they read or watch or listen to or do? 

 

16:06 - David (Guest)

So for me and this might vary depending on your medium, but maybe the location would vary For me I like to walk the aisles of my local hardware store We'll say the big green hardware store. Because I, yes, I've been renovating a house myself, with no skills but learning how to do things. 

 

16:35

I find my comfort space is walking the aisles, finding a new material that I didn't know about, and then learning how to utilize that material, whether it be glues, adhesives, fillers, paints, all sorts of bits and bobs. So in terms of a resource, maybe if you're a painter, you might find that it's your local art supply store or whatnot, but for me, as an assemblage sculptor, I need to figure out how to make things connect. So I guess the internet works in a similar sort of way. You can go digging around. I guess the internet works in a similar sort of way. You can go digging around, but for me, yeah, walking the aisles at my hardware store and learning about new materials. Learning about new, yeah, ways that are going to make my life easier, and learning the things I never knew were out there. 

 

17:48 - Alexis (Host)

So yeah, in the last six to twelve months has there been like a little like aha moment that you've had with like a problem or like an attachment, or

 

17:57 - David (Guest)

Yeah. So, uh, I, as I mentioned, I'm working on, uh, bringing my sculptures down off the wall. So everyone keeps telling me I need to go and learn how to do welding so that I can then build from, I guess, all the framework of that sculpture and then attach to it. I haven't got that far yet, but what I have been able to do was go okay, well, how can I build an internal structure for a sculpture that I'll then build around, and what can I build that out of? So I've found myself digging around through the, the plumbing section, and then, okay, well, I can screw that together and screw that together, and and then, all of a sudden, I have what I need to to then attach or be in the middle of to be able to attach things to. Yeah, yeah, yeah, plumbing. 

 

19:00 - Alexis (Host)

However, which way we come to it. 

 

19:02 - David (Guest)

Well, indeed right. So yes, I need to. You know, my next challenge is welding. I'll get onto that one next, but for now I've been solving my problems because I've got a warehouse of equipment that I can go and play with and buy what I need. 

 

19:21 - Alexis (Host)

Yeah, don't you just love, I love that the journey as a creative is forever evolving. Yeah, like our world is all about labels and we have a particular label, but within that we're constantly pushing if we choose to step into that, to be constantly skilling up leveling up being pushed, I get bored. Well, that's what I'm yeah, me too, me too. It's it's like okay, how do I do this next project, but how do I push myself more than I did last time? Suckersuckers for punishment, I think. 

 

19:59 - David (Guest)

I think you're probably right. Yeah, there's certainly that feeling of success does help drive the next step into the unknown. So I think, yeah, with the new works that I'm working on, I think hopefully they're well received and if they are, then you go yay, success, or this is what success feels like. So what's next? 

 

20:28 - Alexis (Host)

Yeah, it's always the what next. 

 

20:30 - David (Guest)

Yeah, it's probably slightly addictive, that moment, addictive, that, um, that, that moment. You you certainly find this with songwriting or or with any creative endeavor, or even then non-creative, but uh, that moment, that aha moment, or uh, that feeling. I've been struggling with this and trying to wrangle it into whatever shape that looks like it could be a project manager, it's probably the same feeling. And then the moment happens where, if that goes there and that goes there, I've got it. That feeling is fantastic. Big fan of that. What was the question? 

 

21:13 - Alexis (Host)

Well, we're talking about resources, but then we deviated from the question. 

 

21:19 - David (Guest)

It's so fun I've wandered way off track. 

 

21:22 - Alexis (Host)

I think it's my fault, it's fine. One last question. If you could have anyone come on this podcast and answer these questions, who would it be and why? 

 

21:36 - David (Guest)

Hmm, and answer these questions who would it be and why? Hmm, I mentioned earlier about my friend who is the singer who built the recording studio. So his name's Chris Blaine and he's been an a cappella singer quite successful massive in Asia, not so much here and he seems to be connected with all sorts of wonderful individuals in the Australian music industry. But he's been working a lot recently with indigenous communities getting them involved in the powers of music. He's about to take a bunch of old boys over to England to do a tour. Over there they do very, very cheeky, cheeky, cheeky acapella songs. They're a bit of a hoot Men in Suits, I think they're called. But I think I'd like to hear about his challenges with the music industry and then how to impart that knowledge into the next generation and really how you keep your spirits up in an industry that's changed so much. You keep your spirits up in an industry that's changed so much. I can get on the, on the Bjork bandwagon and and slam Spotify and all of that, but everything's changed now. 

 

23:08

So yeah yeah, I'd like to hear his his creative, creative elements in his life in that creative space. Chris Blaine is my answer. 

 

23:20 - Alexis (Host)

Beautiful, I'll write that down. David Cox, thank you so much, my pleasure. For being with us on Through the Creative Door. This has been such a joy and has filled my cup so much. You are a bloody legend. 

 

23:39 - David (Guest)

Thanks for sitting in this dusty space. 

 

23:41 - Alexis (Host)

Oh, my goodness, it is glorious. 

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