In this episode I am joined by visual artist, Brent Houzenga, where we delve into his journey of discovering old photographs in a trash bin and how that changed the course of his life in profound ways. We discuss how this discovery ignited his artistic path and led him to reflect on themes of consciousness, synchronicity, and the essence of identity. ---------------------------------Brent Houzenga is New Orleans-based artist originally from Fulton, IL. Houzenga earned his B.A. in printmaking and graphic design from Western Illinois University and his MFA at the University of New Orleans in 2017. Houzenga's art has been exhibited all over the country and world, including Warsaw, Chicago, Kansas City, Washington D.C., Portland, Los Angeles, Austin, Miami, and New Orleans. Houzenga’s work resides in many private and public collections. In 2012 he was commissioned to paint a portrait for Matthew McConaughey's personal collection. He is an accomplished muralist, installation artist, and educator. Houzenga's work has been featured in publications such as Time Out Chicago, Art and Art Galleries of the South, Art+Design New Orleans, as well as the Rizzoli book Stickers: From Punk Rock to Contemporary Art. In 2021 his work appeared on the cover of the Image Comics book Primordial. In 2022 he was commissioned by Dark Horse Comics to create a variant cover for a Stranger Things story. In 2024 his work appeared on the cover of the dreampunk anthology Somniscope published by Fractured Mirror. He is the subject of the independent documentary film Brent Houzenga: Hybrid Pioneer.Brent's Website Brent's IGFollow Martin Benson for more insights:*To stay updated on the podcast and related content, check out ⁠my Instagram⁠*To support the show and access exclusive content, consider subscribing for $0.99/month on Instagram (link above).Credits: Special thanks to Matthew Blankenship of ⁠The Sometimes Island⁠ for our podcast theme music!Support this podcast: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/martin-l-benson/support

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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