Austin Ascenders: Dave McClinton
The artist, the designer, and the man that’s seen it all.
We had the pleasure of interviewing Dave McClinton, artist, designer, speaker, and born again true Austinite. Easygoing and easy to talk to. Dave’s passion is his fine art and he uses this medium to spread messages and truths that are close to his heart. As a designer, Dave is thoughtful, fresh, and prolific, cranking out a ton of great work on the regular. Though he’s been a friend of ours, we dug a bit deeper to learn about the why behind the man. Sit back and settle in for this one. We talk about it all. Old Austin, beer, and how the climate of today has affected this city and his work.
Studio Dzo: How long have you been in Austin? How did you end up here?
Dave: I was born in California and raised in New Braunfels. I’ve been living in Austin since the mid 90s, when I started working here. That’s when I would say I became a true Austinite. When I moved here, everything was so empty...which makes everything that’s happening now feel so new. If you’ve lived here for 15 years, you just think it’s always looked like this. But, I remember when the tallest building in town was the Franklin’s building on 2nd St. Back then, the Arboretum may as well have been in Waco, ha.
Studio Dzo: How did you get into the design world?
Dave: I went to school for design at Texas State. Back when it was called Southwest Texas State. I had hours for Design and Studio Art. The only way I thought Studio Art could work long term was to get a Masters degree. Teach and produce on the side. My dad was in the Air Force for 21 years, my mom taught Sunday school. There was no way I was going to be like: “Can you keep paying for art school?” So, as I was looking at the landscape of what was next, design seemed like the more practical option. When I graduated, the economy was tanked. Eventually I got a job at the Austin Chronicle.
Studio Dzo: What was it like at the Chronicle?
Dave: Greatest job ever! I was designing ads, helping with layout, every now and then designing a cover if the Art Director was on vacation. I was there for 2 ½ years but it felt like a lifetime...like one LONG party.
Studio Dzo: What came next?
Dave: A friend helped me get a job at a startup. It was time to learn some new things. I had never designed a website before, and I left The Chronicle to be a web designer at this startup. It was being thrown to the dogs, man. That was a brutal transition, haha. I was there for six months and then went to another startup for four years, as a web designer.
Studio Dzo: How have you seen the creative scene in Austin change over the years?
Dave: There was definitely a time when Austin had a very unique, specific design style. It was a very cool, fresh, hip little enclave. Design was very regional when I got started. Today, in general, things have gotten more homogenized because it’s so easy to “research” and, basically, rip off ideas/styles. Nowadays, people can see new stuff and copy it that day. It seems like a lot of people are doing the same things.
Studio Dzo: How have you been faring as a creative during the pandemic?
Dave: After my four year gig at that second startup, I was a freelancer for 10 years, so I’m used to working from home. So, now, even though I’m working for a design studio, Sundaram Design, there’s very little difference in my day between now and when I was freelancing, aside from the very occasional in-person meeting. I have some clients that I’ve never seen. I don’t even know what they look like. So, quarantine hasn’t really changed my relationship with my clients that much. We’ve been working from home since March and it’s going great, so we’re getting rid of our office. We loved the office space we had, but it wasn’t necessary.
“Some of my work is brutal and far from polite. I’m not going to sugarcoat things for people anymore. I’ve been a diplomat for too long.”
Studio Dzo: What has helped you to keep your sanity during quarantine?
Dave: I’m kinda good with isolation. I’m that stereotypical creative who’s perfectly happy, good on his own, just making things. I design during the day, eat dinner, and transition to creating some art. I have a couple of shows coming up. Having goals helps a lot. I’m trying to get my book done, so that’s a big project. For me, making art is a mental and emotional vacation. There is no anxiety with it.
Studio Dzo: Okay, so...thoughts on #BlackLivesMatter?
Dave: Oh. Man. I think there are so many layers of things for white people to do to feel better about themselves before actual, systemic change happens. All of this feels very cosmetic to me. When it comes to this sort of thing, I’ve always been a wait-and-see, show-and-prove kind of person. Maybe there will be a different country after all of this, for the better. But, my gut tells me that this is cosmetic and we still have a lot of work to do. I’ve been talking about this stuff for a long time, before #BLM. I started my digital collage work in 2015. Last summer, I participated in “The Other Art Fair” in Dallas. There’s a piece of mine that features a young black boy in a suit, with a noose around his neck. Every time someone would walk by and see what was going on in that piece, it was a showstopper. I’ve had so many conversations about race that I never would have had, had it not been for my art, which is a great opportunity.
Studio Dzo: As someone whose work is already very intentional, has your artistic mission shifted at all amidst current events?
Dave: I’m no longer asking for acceptance or change. I’m demanding it. Some of my work is brutal and far from polite. I’m not going to sugarcoat things for people anymore. I’ve been a diplomat for too long. I no longer feel like one. I want to be a general. My work is already confrontational; how I talk about it will change.
Studio Dzo: Which creatives (past or present) inspire you?
Dave: I love how disciplined, but, also, from space Miles Davis was. I love the freak. I love the black man that doesn’t get tied down. Fishbone. Grace Jones. Rick James. Prince. Jean Michel Basquiat. Alvin Ailey Dance Co. Any black person who realizes that you can be more than all the things society tells you you can do. Those people inspire me. Today, Hue and Umber inspire me. The African American Graphic Design (AAGD.co) community. Honestly, momentum alone. Momentum for creatives of color inspires me.
Studio Dzo: Any announcements or shoutouts?
Dave: I’m doing the artwork for Thirsty Planet’s beer release this year. I’ll be designing the art for their six pack box that will be released in late October. I'm not only designing the packaging, I'm naming the beer as well. For a couple of months in the Fall, in H-E-B (that’s the nation’s greatest grocery store for those of you who aren’t in Texas), there will be a product in the beer section that has black faces and black bodies on it and it will be aggressive.
You can see more of Dave McClinton’s work at:
Follow him on Instagram: @mcclinton, @mcclinton_design, and @mcclinton_land
