Today we’d like to introduce you to Aaron Hinds.
Hi Aaron , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Thx for the interest! I am a life long artist. Always drawing and creating as a kid. Did my first oil painting at 9 yrs old. Yet being an artist was not an acceptable vocation for the parents, so I studied landscape design at Texas A&M. During a study abroad program, I took oil painting from Italian Master Pallo Barucchieri, which changed my destiny. I moved to NYC after college to learn how to be an artist. I lived there for 13 yrs, interning with established artists. I live about 3 lifetime in that city, my first job was on the NYMex Mercantile exchange on the crue oil ring(as a clerk not a broker). Our offices where in tower one of the trade centers. 6 months into my NYC career 911 happened. I was just late enough to work that day. Hands bown the Worst day of my life. Yet out of that I now have a painting called “ode to heros” in the permit collection of the Museum of the City of New York. Most of my time there was painting, Doing popup shows, I spent a few yrs in the fashion industry and I was the lead singer in a rock band for 8 yrs (A few of our songs are on sound cloud/Aaron Hinds)
I moved back to Tyler 6 yrs ago to be.closer to family. After realizing there are no proper art galleries here I open my own self titled gallery. Hinds Fine Art Gallery and event space. 117 S Broadway Tyler TX 74702. It has turned into my dream come true. I get to display my work the way I want to, while having a studio that is not in my living room. Also I get to create opportunities for local artists in East TX where there are not any places to show ones work. I plan to create an East Texas art collective soon. I have a 26,000 sq’ museum quality multi use space that has become the hub of artistic innovation and collaboration in East TX. We have dark room film ppl, digital artists, film directors , painters , sculptors, writers, fashion designers, glass blowers, potters, furniture makers and that is about half the list.
The ground swell of artists in East Texas is at critical mass. Historically East TX is not known for its art appreciation but that fact has created a very healthy underground scene. I believe East TX and Tyler in particular is going through a major shift as it seems like the entire united States is moving here. I hope to help make Tyler one of the primer cultural destinations in Texas. Hope this wasn’t too long.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Well for one I was raised by a text book psychopath. Physical Abuse was very normal. But he is in jail for good now, so he can’t hurt children or society any more. He slowly became a religious extremist which landed us in a compound in the middle of know where Oklahoma. I had to homeschool myself and my younger siblings. I truly believe the Lord helped me escape to college were my mom and stepdad helped me get through the financial part even sending me to Italy. I should have gone to art school but my father’s brain washing was so strong I carried out his wishes and studied landscape architecture even though I haven’t seen him since I left. Yet I believe the study of design helps my paintings.
I am an ace carpenter and while that allows me to be anywhere and make a living, it is an exhausting life that will sap one desire and drive. I almost lost my dream a few times. Life is struggle, for everyone. Some more that others but.i wouldn’t trade my experience for anything as I believe I had made me who I am. And I like me. Still got some things to work on of course but I feel truly blessed. And free from my past.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Oh man! Where to start. Primarily, I am an oil painter. Two yrs ago I realized the life of Jesus has not been treated by artists since the middle ages. The church carried art through centuries of darkness and death. So I felt it only fare to investigate it creatively. Dispute my fathers twisted version of the God of the bible I was able to separate his lies for the truth of scripture. I had no idea if ppl were going to receive my untraditional images from the life of The Christ but ppl love them. like they have been waiting for someone to create an avant guard take on one of the most famous ppl in history. it has turned into a full on ministry.
Also I have a collection of sculptures in relief, I call Exoskeletal Mega Cities. which I believe is the future of urban design.
Easy available upon request.
I have designed a children’s park that was built at P.S. 63 in the lower east side, Manhattan. Now I have the.opportunity to design a park in Tyler and one in lindale.
My father told me could not be an artist. I was going to be a landscape architecte and I could do art on the side. Now I am making a living as an artist and doing landscape design on the side. Makes me smile every time I think of that.
I do actually love landscape architecture..
Also for the last 3yrs I have been editing my Syfy novel, over and over. Editing is terrifyingly endless. My book is an futuristic take on John Bunyan’s 15th century classic pilgrims progress. I call it Wayfarers progress. Set 600 yrs in the future. I’m editing it for the 13th time. Plus one professional edit as well. I’m in chapter 7, half way through. I’d love to email it to y’all when I’m finished. I Need beta readers!.
Other than that I don’t believe I can actually fit anything else on my plate.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
One thing I can say is that I am experientially wealthy.. this life as not been boring. One time broke into the Roman Colosseum and had it all to myself! I got to explore every inch of the place, even the underground parts. It was swarming with cats. So crazy, I felt like Indiana Jones. Especially when I had to out run the Roman polizia. Luckily I am oddly fast.
Random but I also build furniture for reclaimed materials out of pure necessity. The pieces actually turned out quite nicely. Pictures upon request.
They say every person experiences 15minutes of fame but I have probably had a solid 48 hours worth. Which is good enough for me, to be frank. And Frank is says exactly what’s on his mind.
I always say that New York is the city that happens to you.
This kid from East Texas moves to NYC. Oldest story in the book but needed to learn how to be an artist and more school was not an option.
Through many trials and rejection I believe that city did teach me what I need to know..
I some how got mixed up in the fashion industry and found myself signed to agencies all over the world.
Mistifies me to this day.
Yet there I was a principal in a shoot for French Voge in Reykjavic Iceland.
The photographer new I was a painter and asked me to paint a bunch of crows on a salt shack for the shoot, which I did. The next day the crows had been painted over. Our guid Wolf said he was afraid of that as the icelandic ppl are very superstitious and now they will associate me with Oden and bad omens. I have long dark brown hair and dark eyes which stood out in a town of blond hair blue eyed vikings. Wolf said to prepare to be treated like a villain in an old western. Which is exactly what happened. It was the strangest week of my life. Waiters would not take my order. Ppl obviously trying not to touch me which Ment wide births turning of backs and one bar would not let me enter. Crazy place, no trees, doesn’t get dark.
The band yrs where even stranger still. Visual Art is sort of solitary.. which was the story of my life until college and then NYC
I was beside myself when I realized these actual New York rock-n-roll guys were excepting this homeschool kid from East TX. I wrote the lyrics and sang and they totally bout it!
Now that I have this huge space I plan on building a live music venue downstairs and having my old band down for a show.
One time I was made up to look like Marline Manson is a jean Paul Gautier runway show in a friggin palace in Paris for Pete’s sake. It doesn’t get weirder than that.
I’m truly blessed, I know that is a cliche but that’s the only way I know to describe my life. I love everything about this life. The people I meet and people in general. I love the places Ive been.
Sry to drone on but a lot has happened and is happening.
I love to learn, I consider myself an amateur biologist, botanist, quantum theorist, geologist, and a few other interests. I believe not thing is separate from anything else so I kind of interested in everything.
I feel like I shout shut up now.
Contact Info:
- Website: aaronhindsart.com
- Instagram: @downtowntylerart
- Facebook: Aaron Hinds Artist
- SoundCloud: Aaron Hinds
