Deon Staffelbach shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Deon, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
For years I’ve been wanting to experiment with sculptures that interact with the sun and tie into the seasonal cycles and movement of the earth in the solar system. Recently I have completed my first actual working tests using 3D sculpting and printing to create complex models to use as a proof of concept for this idea. And during the most recent Autumn Equinox I was successful with the initial tests.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Before I get ahead of myself, I’d like to give a proper introduction. My name is Deon Staffelbach, I am a visual artist and designer that creates under the name Kachina! Kachina! My focus has been on creating visual art since my childhood and have worked professionally as an award-winning, brand designer for decades. In my late 40’s I wanted to explore some concepts that I have been thinking about for several years. This led me to start painting and creating designer toys and sculptural collector pieces.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
As I mentioned, I have worked for several decades as a Graphic Designer and Brand Designer. When I was young, in the 1980’s, culture was taking a new turn and I was immersed in all the pop culture that was changing architecture, product design, fashion, magazines, cartoons, toys, and, of course, MTV was a huge influence with the MEMPHIS design group forging the way for a new visual language. In my early teens I decided that I wanted to be a graphic designer as a job. That dream became a reality, and after several decades of working in the industry I found myself at a funeral of one of my work associates. I realized in that moment I couldn’t recall any of the specific projects that we had worked on over the years, but the whirlwind of the process is what remained in my mind. We had such a constant rapid turn over of projects that were essentially driven by the fact that the work was ephemeral. The work changes so often and rapidly it’s essentially disposable. I realized that I wanted to make work that had a different impact and a longer shelf-life and that was created under different circumstances.
Is there something you miss that no one else knows about?
I miss the freedom I had when I was a kid and the space to explore without expectation. I grew up in Dallas, Texas in the 70’s and 80’s and there was a lot of commercial development going on. There were huge undeveloped parcels of land in the middle of this modern city. Remnants of family ranches that were finally being sold to create housing and neighborhoods. Just a couple of minutes away from my home, there were several hundred acres of untouched prairie. It was a quiet refuge that most people overlooked while going to the mall or grocery store. I would play there unsupervised for hours, the iconic Golden Towers seemed within arms reach. The gigantic green neon lined skyscraper in downtown was a clearly visible landmark on the horizon. At the time I had no idea how special it was to have this space available to me, part nature preserve, part construction zone. I would spend hours riding my bike, exploring the skeletons of houses or laying in the grass daydreaming until I had to go home for dinner.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I’m committed to designing and painting toys for as long as possible, I love the community and the people who collect my art. I appreciate the interactions with so many creative people and the collaborations I get to participate in. As mentioned before, part of my mission is to create sculptural installations that interact with nature, and my focus has been on the cycles of the sun and how it interacts with objects on the earth. I have been working on this conceptually for a decade or more now and have been able to explore these ideas further with the aid of 3D sculpting and 3D printing. There are many possibilities between manipulating shadows and positioning a sculpture to catch the sun at particular times in the day. My goal is to create a series of sculptures that interact with the cycles of our sun. I’m fascinated by this idea and the previous cultures that applied these concepts to architecture and sacred sites and I suspect that I will be working with these concepts for decades to come.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
Hopefully I can leave some public accessible installations before I pass on. And if that’s the case I hope that instead of people talking about me, they will gather at these sculptural installations on the solstices and equinoxes and contemplate their place in the world; what their story will be while witness a narrative of light and shadow as the sun traverses the sky..
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kachinakachina.com
- Instagram: @kachina_kachina
Image Credits
Photo of Deon by: Scott Garman
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