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Writing & research for graphic designers
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102
the idea of taking obsolete objects and giving them new
uses through creative reinvention. The 2009 “Off-Roading”
project took a fuel-indulgent truck off the highway and gave
it new life by converting its parts into household furnishings,
including working lamps, chairs, tables, a couch, and a chaise
longue. Off-Roading did not offer a solution to the problems
of consumption and waste that plague contemporary culture,
but it was a vehicle, literal and otherwise, for contemplation
of these pressing matters.
Sounding a call to arms that embrace, O’Callaghan mounted
the acclaimed “Disarm” exhibition in 2006, which repurposed
M16 assault rifles into icons of a nonviolent society: the sanctity
of a white picket fence, the sounds of a violin, and the security of
a teddy bear. O’Callaghan’s humanitarian beliefs are expressed
in Art is … Healing, a poster he created in response to the
World Trade Center devastation of September 11, 2001. The
poster is part of the permanent collection of the Library of
Congress in Washington, D.C.
The narrative accompaniment to the images on these
pages offers a background to the brilliant mosaic that is
O’Callaghan. The anecdotes have been gleaned from the artist
as well as from the shared experiences of his collaborators and
colleagues. Their reflections speak to a career that has spanned
three decades and continues to surprise and delight.
moderation eludes O’Callaghan; his is a realm based upon the
paradoxical, encompassing Foucault’s “thinking the
unthinkable” and Voltaire’s reasoning that “the superfluous
is a very necessary thing.” He’s been known to have a quick
fuse under pressure and to react with verve, often accompa-
nied by audible projection and a face as red as his hair.
Part cultural anthropologist and part creative whiz kid,
O’Callaghan possesses a mature artistic vision that coex-
ists with that cusp of life where the tooth fairy is alive and
well, seductively inviting the fanciful to flourish. Yet for all
the razzmatazz and grandeur that contribute to his creative
ingenuity, he is a dignified and humble man, thoughtful and
deliberate in his communication. When he shares an exploit,
he becomes fully submerged in the moment, as though reliv-
ing the experience — the smells, colors, sights, and sounds.
Ultimately, O’Callaghan symphonies are composed of
textured dialogues through which disparate elements are
repurposed and interwoven: a moonman makes orange juice
and discarded cell phones are transformed into an Earth Day
tree. A master of the visual subtext, he summons audiences
by constructing environments that invite individual inter-
pretation of the artworks and their stories. Above all else is
O’Callaghan’s inextinguishable resolve to awaken the creative
in each of us.
While many of his projects and commissions bring forth
the whimsical, O’Callaghan also engages in social and
political commentary. Each undertaking is supported by
Yugo Telephone. Artist: Scott Lesiak.
Yugo Confessional. Artist: Ann Marie Mattioli. Photography: Tia Magallon.
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section 3
the editorial role how to edit and be edited
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103
Deborah Hussey Talks about Writing for Books
Introductions also reveal the intent and style of the writer
You wrote the introduction to the book
Monumental: The Reimagined
World of Kevin O’Callaghan
. What is the purpose of an introduction
to this or any book?
Introductions differ with each project. In broad strokes, they serve
as detailed content lists and a road map that highlights what will be
explored, as well as any notable landmarks the reader will encounter
along the way—like an amuse-bouche that sets the stage for the entrée.
Introductions also reveal the intent and style of the writer. It is here
where the author’s opinions and topics of personal importance or interest
are acknowledged.
What do you write in an introduction that will not appear elsewhere
in the book?
I find it works best to write the introduction after the rest of the book
has been drafted. At this point, you have collected all of your research
and know what’s been covered, so you can make informed decisions about
the intro: What should (or should not) be outlined, emphasized, stated,
or reiterated.
Because Monumental was intended to give a balanced narrative that en-
compassed the creative process, student and professional work, exhibition
designs, and teaching methods, it was important that the introduction
offer an historical background on Kevin O’Callaghan, whose work is
featured in Monumental, as this would not be emphasized in the essays.
It was also essential to Kevin for this history to include a nod to some
of the instrumental people in his life. Also, the introduction was the
only opportunity for outlining the range and scope of Kevin’s initiatives
and accomplishments, and the occasion to convey a fully developed and
cohesive portrait of the artist (as both a young and not-so-young man).
How do you capture the key qualities of your subject in the short
amount of space allotted?
The key qualities were based on the book’s initiatives: a tribute to Kevin’s
talents as an artist and an educator, and the remarkable achievements of
his students. Added to this foundation were the guiding principles by
which Kevin has attained his numerous successes. These essential ingre-
dients revealed themselves through interviews with his colleagues and
collaborators. Fortunately, these were all related elements that could be
smoothly woven together as a coherent whole within the space restrictions.
In this introduction, what are the most important parts and how did
you construct them?
Communicating Kevin’s innate ability and brilliance in seeing everyday
objects and seamlessly transforming them into otherworldly forms was
paramount. His passion and inimitable creative process were of obvious
significance, as was the importance that repurposing objects has for Kevin.
His stoic work ethic and commitment to collaboration and community
were also important. Kevin is known for his affection for pop culture
references and for his love of the sensational, so I thought it important
to highlight some of the more politically and socially motivated exhibition
themes, such as the Disarm show about the tragic destruction of assault
weapons. Collective anecdotes seemed the best approach in constructing and
capturing the quintessential O’Callaghan.
Endings are always as difficult as beginnings. How did you achieve
success with both?
From the very first conversation I had with Kevin about his practice, it was
clear that the book needed to start with his initial reaction to the works of
Alexander Calder—specifically Calder’s Circus, which was Kevin’s creative
awakening. For all of the wonderful O’Callaghan stories that I was told
during the project, several of which were also suitable as beginnings, it
always circled back to Circus.
The book’s ending was equally apparent from early in the process. The mag-
nificent and monumental “Turn of the Century” carousel contained all of the
elements that both characterize and distinguish Kevin’s talent and practice.
From its humble raw materials of blue foam and rusted parts, its metamor-
phosis stands as a crowning achievement to an illustrious career.
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