A Minute With Cody Haltom
Hi! This is a newsletter about artists I like.
I began acquiring art through some friends that worked in galleries. I started small, working on a limited budget, for stuff I could afford. As time passed, my collection grew, and it was exciting to watch many of the artists I'd collected go on to bigger shows and critical acclaim. My goal with this newsletter is to make a digestible resource for anyone interested in artists that are making great (and still affordable!) work, whom you haven't heard about... yet.
I’ve known and known of Cody for some time now and we got the chance to meet 4 years ago or so when I was working at Oklahoma Contemporary and running the retail shop there. I wanted to work with artists and interesting people and saw that Cody was also from Oklahoma. I had been following his book imprint, Trespasser Books, and immediately stocked their current offerings. It was good timing because we had the Ed Ruscha retrospective and got to nerd out a bit on our state’s favorite okie.
I’m always in awe of artists and their ability to actually create, and Cody’s output is impressive to say the least. He runs Trespasser Books, is a great artist, does branding and design for various bars, cafe’s, brands, etc., so the time was right to get him on here. Thanks Cody.
Tell me a bit about you and what you do? I’m a fan of all facets! And where are you based?
CH: I’m an artist and designer based in Santa Fe, NM. I moved here in October of last year (after 15 years in Austin, TX) to be with my partner, Caitlin Lorraine Johnson.
My commercial projects are a mostly a mix of identity work and book design. I occasionally take on interiors as part of the identity work. I also work on self-initiated projects (zines, shirts, posters, etc), and I’m focusing more time on painting / personal work since moving to Santa Fe. The slower pace has been great for experimentation.
In terms of Trespasser, what is the process like for who and what will be the next book you publish?
CH: The projects have come in through Matthew Genitempo or Bryan Schutmaat, my partners in Trespasser.
We typically meet with the artist in person and work on the edit and sequence together. Not always, but it’s great when we can all be in the same room. There’s a discussion about materiality of the book (dimensions, paper, cover, printing techniques) and any other creative goals. From there I put together a rough design direction, which we refine as a group.
We recently released two new books: Paraíso, by Emiliano Zúñiga Hernández, and The North Fork, by Trent Davis Bailey. Earlier this year we had County Road, by Bryan.
In 2024 we’re going to release books by Agnieszka Sosnowska, Joe Leavenworth, Bryan, and Matthew. This will be the most books we’ve put out in a single year.
What’s going on this fall and looking out to 2024?
CH: I’m part of a group show in Austin, TX that opened on November 10. It’s work that I’ve made since moving here, and is sort of the next step in some themes I’ve been exploring for a while.
I just finished designing a record for Michael Muller. Currently I’m working on a country bar in San Antonio (hire me for all country bar needs), new collateral for Moonlists, and the visual identity for architect Matt Garcia. I start work on a hotel in West Texas in early 2024, and I’m working with two other book projects outside of Trespasser.
Personally, I’m aiming for a solo show in 2024, but we’ll see.
I always enjoy seeing your work in various spots around Texas and beyond. Any fun stuff you can share you are currently working on?
CH: I’m messing around with a new zine called “All Dogs Don’t Go to Heaven”. It’s documenting all the lost tennis balls I see at the dog park, with photos of dogs I blame for each lost ball. I’m also trying to finish a Terry Allen shirt, which is just for fun. Sadly he hasn’t asked me to do that (though I did see him here at a burrito spot).
Who should we have on next?
CH: This list could go on forever, but here are some:
Mason McFee (love his Elmer Gomer project)
Shane Tolbert (Best Western Gallery)
Linkage Report
NADA starts next week in Miami, I will be there for a day, anything we should see/do etc. ?
Our past guest Katia is opening up her new space in Miami which will no doubt be incredible, KDR305 !
The new Apartmento looks like a good one with Adam Silverman/Louise Bonnet, Ruby Neri, Ed/Deanna Templeton, and John Divola all featured.