We had the good fortune of connecting with Adam Homan and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Adam, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
My favorite quote is, “It’s not art until sold. Until then it’s an obsession and a storage problem.” I’ve known many gifted and talented people who do amazing work, but can’t sell it. Art is meant to be seen, meant to be enjoyed, discussed and appreciated. If you want to keep putting beauty into the world, well then you better start selling it so you can do more. Yes, there’s a business aspect that you have to balance, yes, you have to field other’s opinions and critiques. But putting art into the world is a privilege and it should be worth the effort for the sake of making the world a better place. After being a full time artist for 27 years you begin to understand that it’s about the exchange, it’s not just a being locked in your studio and indulging your imagination, it’s about the relationship between creator and appreciator, the relationship between expression and exhibition, it’s about realationship between individual and society. When you create with this in mind, you tap into a much larger, more abundant world.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art began with an obsession with movie making. I walked out of Star Wars as a young boy and had to know how they did that, and I began studying the artists, model builders, set designers and visionaries who bring fantasy to reality. People like George Lucsas, Jim Henson, H.R. Giger, and many styles of animation lit up my imagination. When I found steel I felt like it was my medium and I began creating my visions. About two years in and I was selling in galleries, which then blossomed into juried art shows all over the country. It was constant practice, trying to improve which each sculpture that drove me. After a while I found a niche, none of the metal artists were doing what I was was doing. I was using found objects, steel, and fiber optics to bring life to a rigid medium. I was animating steel sculpture. My story is really about persistence, if you keep showing up with excitement and the desire to create and be your best, then it has to work, you can’t fail. The toughest challenge for me has always been the fluctuations in the business, it’s very hard to create a working budget when you don’t know what your income is going to be from month to month, but over time you begin to have faith that it will work out, and it always does.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well, living in Tucson, I would take them on a mural tour. Some of the best muralists are from Tucson and their work is displayed all over town. There are so many great Mexican restaurants to visit in the area as well. There is amazing hiking in Sabino Canyon and all over the surrounding area. I also feel like the Kartchner Caverns are a must see. I also enjoy the Pima Air and Space museum. And for those with a really open mind, the Tucson night skies are great for star gazing and UFO spotting.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many to thank as my journey has always been encouraged and supported by others. First, my father, Dennis Homan, not only supported my vision but helped me do art shows and picked me up when I was down. My mom, Patricia, who is a great creative herself, has always been supportive and encouraging. I’ve had so many other artists who encouraged me right from the beginning and shared their knowledge freely with me. Competition is an illusion, when one artist succeeds we all do. All of the galleries who work to sell my sculptures have been very supportive. Mostly, all of the individuals who have purchased work from me and continue to do so is the true reason I’m still here. I have over 7000 sculptures out there in the world and every sale is a blessing and I live in gratitude for those who support the arts.
Website: www.adamhoman.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/adam_homan
Facebook: www.facebook.com/adamhomanmetalsculpture
Other: The Tucson Gallery TheTucsonGallery.com Van Gogh’s Ear vgegallery.com
Image Credits
Focused, by Adam Homan, steel, 2022