Catching Up with Pete Ippel: Artist-Athlete

Written by DA Staff on 25 April 2010

by Ned T.

Pete Ippel attended Cornell University where he captained their track team and high jumped a school record 7’. After moving to San Francisco, he enrolled in art classes at the San Francisco Art Institute before joining the track and girls basketball team coaching staffs at UHS. He recently moved to Southern California to take part in Working Artists Ventura, a state-of-the-art community designed for artists and creative businesses completed in December 2009. The WAV community, in the heart of Ventura’s Downtown Cultural District, offers affordable living and working space for over a hundred artists of every kind – painters, sculptors, dancers, poets, musicians, filmmakers and more.

How did you get started in high jump?

When I was growing up in Oak Park, Illinois, I lived very close to my father’s dance school (The Academy Of Movement and Music).  I studied ballet and creative movement from the time I could walk to about 4^th grade.  Both of my parents were track and field athletes in high school.  My mom did sprints and the long jump, my dad did the western roll high jump and cross country running.  So I had always heard stories about the events.

My Dad went to Illinois State, started to compete there in HJ and CC and he got very ill and was bedridden for 7 months after a trip to Mexico.  His coach had him do dance classes as therapy to get back into jumping.  He liked it so much that he decided to stop competing and concentrate on dance full time.  He continued his dance studies at the graduate level at California Institute of the Arts in Valencia.

So I did a “field day” in 4^th grade and my mom taught me how to long jump in down the hallway in our apt.  That was my first experience in track and field (I got third jumped 11’11”) then Mr. Allen (my gym teacher in grade school) lived in the same apt complex as me, and he and I saw each other playing basketball from time to time…so he was the one who helped me get into the HJ at Shabbona middle school.

I was never the fastest kid on the team, though I could always jump the highest.  I remember being able to touch the rim around 6^th grade and I could dunk by the summer before 8^th grade.  I was 5’11” and weighed 120 lbs…just a bag of bones, (at the time it seemed like my knees were bigger around than my thighs) but I could jump.

Basketball and track seem like they were an integral part of your life growing up, was art a big part as well? Did you always find yourself balancing the two?

Yes art has always been a huge part of my life,  I lived it.  I made birthday cards for all my friends, and whenever I had the opportunities to make covers for book reports etc, I’d make them myself.  For English classes, my friends Jeff and Ryan and I would always ask if instead of reports we could make videos.  I never took formal art classes growing up because I was concentrating on sports and other academic pursuits, plus I had all the art education I needed from my parents.

I was a 3 sport athlete starting in the fall of 6^th grade.  CC Basketball and Track so balancing between sports and academics was paramount.  As I said art was in my life, but wasn’t my top priority.  I was super focused on athletics, and once I was in HS, I was focused on getting into a great college.

Could you explain the reason behind the creation of the WAV?

As I understand it, WAV was conceived as part of Ventura wanting to be “California’s new art city”.  One of the problems with artists is that they need space to create.  Typically in an urban environment they will flock to industrial or crime-ridden areas (because they are affordable) and start studios.  Often business like book stores, alternative artists spaces, coffee shops come in…and for a while it’s really nice because both the artists and businesses co-exist.  After some time, the neighbor become “cool” and then development starts to happen…this is not bad, it’s just that it drives property values up, and then the people who created the neighborhood (arists) have to move out…you can find this in Williamsburg in brooklyn and also greenwich village…places that at one point were bastions for artists, are now the most thriving economic places in the city.

How did you hear about it and what drew you to it?

I first heard about Working Artists Ventura from my mom.  She was looking for studio space in Chicago WAV came up on a Google search.  She forwarded me the overview animation because she thought it was cute.  I sent her an email back, and said “Do you know what you’ve found??!?!?”

My specific interests are in line with WAV in that I care very much about the environment, and I’ve lived and worked with artists my whole life.  I wanted to have some time to dedicate 100% to my art, and I needed space.  My new studio is significantly larger than anything I could find in SF in the same price range.  Community-wise it’s a blessing because I can call on my neighbors for tools, experience, and fellowship.  Since I’ve been here I’ve learned how to finish wood with wax, knit, purl, sew, and I’ve made a ton of new contacts.

Could you walk us through an average day at the WAV?

Before I got to bed, I outline my goals for the next day.

In the morning, I triage my email, addressing the most important messages first, and compare them to the tasks the night before and set my priorities for the day.

I integrate fitness with errands, and will walk or bike around town for a break from the studio.

I also often go on what I call a “think walk” in the afternoon or late morning to generate ides.

I split the balance of my day between “studio time” and “administrative time”…both are essential to accelerate my art career.  I have been spending the majority of my administrative time reading books on entrepreneurship, marketing, and sales.  These are topics that are often not addressed in art school, and are absolutely essential.

For example, I knew that I was going to have the grand opeining for WAV the 16-18^th of April, so production was the majority of my focus for the first four months…Now that I have projects complete, I am moving forward by marketing my work to collectors, galleries, and friends.

I am also focusing on generating new commissions with people I know from my other aspects of my life, coaching, college, teaching, etc.

Regarding an “average day” in studio time, I keep meticulous records of where my time goes, so that I am accountable to myself.  I work hard to get at least 8-10 hours a day working on my projects and administrative tasks…I often switch between art and other tasks to make sure that I don’t get in-efficient by burning out on one thing.

The main drawback of running your own studio/art business is trying to juggle everything at once: Finances, Production, Marketing, Inspiration, Health, etc.  There is NOONE that is going to help you, so you get good at new skill acquisition.  Without structure and discipline, there is a very high likelihood that one will fall into the category of the stereotypical artist, poor, jaded, sad, and hungry.  I REFUSE to be that way.

Could you elaborate on your most recent project?  How has the WAV enhanced the creative process?

My most recent project is a large sculpture called “Checkered Past”  As we move through life there is a significant amount of information that is discernible from our financial papers.  Fear of identity theft is played up on the news, and people are always recommended to shred their personal documents.

When I moved to Ventura, I finally addressed the accounts that I had in Morris Illinois, Ithaca New York, and San Francisco.  I closed them all and was left with papers.  Rather than shred them, I wanted to make a statement saying that I was free.  I tore all of the paper out of the registers, deposits slips, checks, etc. and began to throw them in the air.  It was a symbol releasing the information, and embracing my life…so once the papers were arranged on the floor I used the sewing machine to stitch the little rectangles together.  It references pixels (see painting “Gender Resolution”) and clouds…

It was a very labor intensive process, as there were approximately 1500 pieces of paper.  So for 6 weeks I sewed every day.  Once the pieces were together, I rolled the 17′ x 17′ matrix together toward the inside and made a columnar shape that references the human figure.

The outside of the column shows the back of the checks which say “official documnents’ etc.  There are small gaps where the viewer can see the inside and the colorful designs that I chose as well as my personal information is viewable…this make the viewer question if they are being voyeuristic or violating my privacy.

The shape of the sculpture is held in place by the weight of the paper as it cascades down the center also referencing the recent collapse of the financial system…being only held up by itself.

WAV has changed my creative process in that space and time are two things that I didn’t have in San Francisco.  Now that I have a studio that has 800 sq feet and 18 foot ceilings, I can materialize projects that were formerly limited to sketchbook ideas.  Regarding time, I formerly worked two jobs, and now I’m dedicating 100% of my time to my art.  I’ve been living off my savings and now I am moving forward to sales and commissions.  It’s a risk, and I know I’m alive.

I have heard you mention your philosophy about the similarities between the art process and athletics, could you go into detail?

My father has always said that freedom comes through technique.  It has been my experience that repetition in athletics drives skill acquisition.  We get better at shooting free-throws by shooting more free-throws, same thing with high jump.  Once the technique is embodied, one has the ability to make creative choices.

You’ll often hear from musicians, athletes, artists etc that they lose track of time when they are executing their most practiced skill. Some call it the zone, the groove, it’s all the same.  When in the moment creativity flows.
Getting to that moment takes discipline, repetition, and tenacity.  When I was sewing the checks, it was extremely challenging to work the material at that scale…and there were times when I wanted to stop…having the experience of athletics when I was younger and knowing that discomfort is temporary, allowed me to get through it.

Is there anything else that you’d like to add?

Yes, I want to welcome anyone to my studio.  WAV is right in downtown Ventura, literally 2 blocks from the 101.  So if anyone is headed to LA or SD, please stop by.  Santa Barbara is just 26 miles north, so come on by and say hello.

In addition, one of the best ways to get to know me is through my blog and website.  Http://hypermodern.net is where all my projects (including art athletics and teaching) are available.  http://peteippel.com is a crisp gallery site showcases my art specifically.  I’m also looking for work, so if there is anyone out there who wants custom art, I am more than happy to work together creating a new piece for your home.  Select works available for purchase online at http://hypermodern.net/gallery.

Thanks, Pete!

Tags: art, basketball, high jump, interview, pete ippel, Sports, track, WAV
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