Inspired by an obsession with the ocean and a fascination with extravagant interiors of old churches, Adam Wallacavage transformed the dining room of his South Philadelphia Victorian brownstone into something from the pages of a Jules Verne novel. Teaching himself the ancient art of ornamental plastering, Adam evolved his newfound skills into making octopus-shaped chandeliers as the final touch to his underwater-themed room. Not content with leaving the chandeliers to his own home, Adam continued his experimentation by making more and more. He changed the shapes and colors and themes, moving on to bats, snakes, elk skulls, wall sconces, and some rather silly castings from his old collection of rubber squeaky toys. Adam has been showing his chandeliers all over the world, including places like São Paulo, Rome, Vienna, Bristol City Museum of Art in the U.K., and, most recently, at La Gaîté Lyrique in Paris.
Beyond making chandeliers, Adam Wallacavage is also an accomplished photographer, documenting artists, musicians, daredevils, and all things weird and wonderful. His first book, Monster Size Monsters, was released in 2006 through Gingko Press, and spans fifteen years of his photography.
JC—Are you formally trained or self-taught?
AW—Pretty much the latter. I mean, I went to school for photography and took classes in mold-making, sculpture, silk-screening, and stone carving, but unless you are going to be doing only the one thing you discovered in art school, everything else is going to be self-taught to some point.
JC—Which materials do you like working with the most?
AW—Stuff. Vintage lamp parts, Magic-Sculpt, epoxy resins, spray paints.
JC—What’s your first memory of feeling like an artist?
AW—I remember making a painting for Santa Claus and leaving it out for him, only to find about three months later that my parents stole it and hid it in the attic. I was so mad at them.
JC—Why are you an artist?
AW—It’s an excuse.
JC—If you weren’t an artist, what would you be?
AW—Boring.
JC—Where do you find inspiration?
AW—It used to be by exploring libraries and looking for stuff at flea markets, but now I have so much going on at my house/studio that I just feed off the energy here.
JC—What’s happening in your house?
AW—I’m trying to get rid of all the junk that causes my mind to get cluttered up. I want to continue to keep the energy that inspired the octopus chandeliers by creating another room to rival all the other rooms. I’m thinking of a Gothic Bollywood–themed room for the second floor and an opium den–themed room as well. I don’t really like the word “theme,” only because it directs the inspiration to something existing or from the past, so I use it loosely.
JC—How do you feel about the egos and insecurities of the art world?
AW—I’ve been fortunate to realize how unimportant it is to think too highly of yourself. I’ve known a lot of artists, and I know about ego and insecurities and all that. Basically, you need to be comfortable with yourself and find confidence in what you do and not really care about what others think. I try to make things that make people happy and excited, especially kids. It’s an easy formula because I’m not trying to challenge anyone with some heavy internal political opinion or ideal beyond just appreciating the mysteries and beauty of nature. It’s an easy way to make people smile, and that’s all the compliment I need.
JC—So, how do you feel about receiving criticism?
AW—I’m critical of myself first, so there’s nothing anyone could say that I didn’t realize myself first—and if it is something I didn’t realize, it’s probably healthy that I know.
JC—Does your inner critic ever have an opinion?
AW—Not really. My biggest criticism is the fact that I’m making too many octopus chandeliers and I need to move on from it, but then I make another and it still makes me happy, so whatever.
JC—How do you get unstuck, when you’re feeling stuck?
AW—I’ve always had many different jobs and passions: I’m a photographer, sculptor, builder, ornamental plasterer. I just switch to a different thing I like to do when I’m stuck on one thing. I can always make tentacles if I want. I got kind of good at that, or just photography. I shoot a lot, and I create things to be photographed.
JC—When do you get your best ideas?
AW—Probably walking, since I seek a lot of inspiration looking up at buildings to see the ornamental designs.
JC—How do you know when you’re truly in a “creative zone”?
AW—I normally work until I’m ready to go out, and if I work so late that I can’t go out, it’s usually an indication that I’m in the right spot.
You need to be comfortable with yourself and find confidence in what you do and not really care about what others think.
