Meet Jason Hackenwerth | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jason Hackenwerth and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jason, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
When I began as an artist, it didn’t feel as much like a choice as it did a compulsion.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My business is Jason Hackenwerth Inc. I make art. Sculpture, installation and paintings. Being a self-employed artist is a very challenging business to be in. For me the hardest part is managing all of the administrative work. Taxes, filing, accounting, cataloguing, and documenting can be very boring for me. On the other hand, I wake up every morning excited to get to the studio and get to work discovering what I’m capable of. It never gets old.

If there is one thing people should know about the work I make, is that is is a spontaneous manifestation of my unconscious flow that occurred that day. The works tend to be a journey through the frustrations, and pains of that we all experience but also embody the transcendence of these states to the love and joy that awaits us when we find our peace.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Some of my favorite things to do would be going to the museums in the Tampa Bay area including the Ringling Museum in Sarasota. I’d want to get lunch out on Beach Drive in downtown Saint Petersburg. Spend a day at the beach at Fort Desoto. Enjoy the waterslides at Adventure Bay in Tampa. and then head out to Gainesville to watch the thousands of bats leaving their houses at dusk on the campus at FSU.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people, books, songs, and stories that have inspired and empowered me to become who I am. As a kid, my mom always encouraged me to choose what I wanted to spend my time doing and then become the best at it and I’d have a successful life. My best friend Dan Moses who was one of the most talented people I’d ever met, inspired me to become an artist. And Miles Davis’s album Sketches Of Spain has been a source of deep introspection and inspiration for decades. Of course there are countless artists who continue to ignite my passion when I spend time looking at their works. Cy Twombly, Jullian Schnable, Rose Wylie, Anish Kapoor. This list could go on for days.

Website: www.jasonhackenwerth.com

Instagram: @hackenwerth

Image Credits
For Image No.1 Sean Gilligan. all of the rest are credit Jason Hackenwerth