Working Artists: Distant Train Sounds and Controlling Chaos with Stephen Kelley (He/Him)

This series highlights working artists currently on staff at the Frye Art Museum. The Frye has a wealth of talented Seattle-based artists working under its roof in many different capacities, each with their own dedicated arts practice outside of their work at the museum. Facilitated and written by Alexis L. Silva, Curatorial Assistant, this series is meant to highlight and celebrate these individuals, showcasing their amazing work and arts practices. 

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By Alexis L. Silva

It’s officially summer in Seattle which means our city is finally coming alive again. Tank tops and sunglasses riddle the streets, and our dear population is learning how to smile again. Better weather brings better times and experiences, and who knows, you might end up finding yourself in some interesting venues.  

This Working Artists series has taken me to some pretty cool places, but this one was quite unique. I found myself underneath a bridge in Sodo watching a plethora of people gather over Rainer beer and hot dogs as we stared at musical equipment just itching to be activated. Finally, up walks Stephen Kelley and his band mate, electrifying the air around them and causing the gravel beneath our feet to vibrate. The crowd gathered and heads bobbed as trains drove past blaring horns and cheers as we watched the duo explode in noise and movement. Stephen’s practice not only explores music, but also ties in illustration and comics that underline grotesque and anthropomorphic creatures. These two practices melt into each other creating an intriguing breadth of visual and musical language.  

Along with Stephen’s music and studio practice, he also works as a security officer at the Frye, where they monitor the museum’s exhibition galleries to maintain the safety of patrons, staff, and artwork. I was able to not only able attend Stephen’s show but also receive some insight into both practices.  

Tell us about your background; did you always live in Seattle?

I grew up in Michigan where I went to Kendall College of Art and Design and got a BFA in illustration. I clawed my way out from the depths of the Midwest and moved here to sunny Seattle about 6 years ago. 

How did you get started in illustration? What imagery are you drawn to and why? 

I’ve been drawing silly cartoons and comics since I was a child, so it’s hard to pinpoint when I actually got started in illustration. In recent years I’ve gotten more serious about it, doing occasional tattoo designs, illustrations for zines, and art/designs for the band I’m in, Scum Wife. 

I grew up watching A LOT of stolen premium cable TV so I’m very drawn towards retro cartoon and sleazy sci-fi/horror movie imagery. I love the exaggeration and impossibility of it all. I like seeing things that couldn’t exist in real life. Anthropomorphic ducks going on treasure hunting adventures, alien planets with strange creatures, flesh merging with scrap metal, horrors the mind can barely comprehend. Art that is wild and doesn’t take itself too seriously is fun, I don’t want to settle for realism. 

You have an extensive music practice alongside your visual arts practice. How do both your illustration practice and music practice inform each other? Do you find them to be separate or that they go hand in hand? 

My music and visual art overlap so much thematically and tonally I don’t think they could exist without each other. Something in my sketchbook could easily lead to lyrics for a song, or a soundscape I make could inspire a full illustration. It all comes from the same part of my brain and feels connected; they’re just two mediums for me to tell otherworldly stories and express emotion in fun and bizarre ways. With Scum Wife specifically we’re trying to blend all our artistic interests together into a multimedia project including music, illustration, performance art, and video. 

Can you tell us what draws you to music, specifically these abstracted noise-like elements that you incorporate in each track? 

It's the same reason I'm drawn to sci-fi and horror imagery: it’s alien, obscene, and extreme. I also enjoy the versatility and range that can be found in the chaos of noise and being able to evoke different feelings by controlling that chaos. Noise can be anything from soothing to anxiety inducing. 

Can you talk about how you came up with the name Scum Wife? 

The name was originally a combination of our stage names and alter egos, scumball.machine and Bone Wife, but has evolved to be the name of an intergalactic demon that has called upon us to spread her message through audio/visual warfare. 

Tell us about your vision for the future of the Seattle arts and music community. 

I’d love to see more cartoonists in fine art spaces. Seattle has a huge comics history with Fantagraphics, Push/Pull, and the Short Run Zine Fair and I think it should be celebrated. It would also be amazing to see more all-ages music venues and more mixed genre shows at those venues. 

Where can people find you? (Socials, website, upcoming shows) 

I occasionally post illustrations on my Instagram @scumball.machine and you can listen to Scum Wife at scumwife.bandcamp.com and we’re on Instagram @scumwife. We play live very sporadically, but we have a show scheduled for August 2nd at Lucky Liquor in Tukwila and later in August we will be part of a group art exhibition providing soundscapes and playing a full set.