International Mural Painter Audifax is right here in Madison!

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This is MagSync Radio.

We are local music.

We have artifacts in the studio right now.

Artifacts has been on a unique journey that started with a voice in her head

telling her to paint, but it had to be big.

What better place to start than the streets of Europe's where

Artifacts discovered painting on walls was her passion.

Now, Artifacts creates inspirational public art,

creating large-scale murals for clients and community partners,

and here in the studio with us tonight to talk about passion,

murals, and being a DJ is Artifacts.

Welcome to MagSync Radio.

Yay!

Thank you so much.

I'm so happy to be here.

Now, we were just confounded by Tinhead.

But you guys were all...

Don't say we.

That was you.

Yeah, that was me.

We were all dancing.

We were.

It's true.

I was mesmerized.

Who is Tinhead?

Tinhead is a...

So, I used to own a record store many, many years ago, so...

Here in Madison?

It was in Milwaukee.

Okay.

So, and it was actual vinyl.

And during that time, I met my friend, Tinhead,

and he lives in Madison.

He's a producer and DJ, and makes amazing beats.

So, yeah, I DJ some of his stuff out.

So, yeah.

I think we got to keep that in the rotation.

That was really fun.

It's fun.

It's our new bringing in bed.

Artifacts, voices in your head told you to paint,

and that passion led you to Europe.

Tell us your backstory.

I mean, who is Artifacts, and how did he get started?

Voices in your head?

Okay, let me clarify.

When I said voices within, those were voices with the voice

with the my heart, not my hat.

Oh!

Now that you heard it, I see it.

Yeah, so the voice with the my heart,

there's a map within our hearts, all of us have it.

And mine was screaming that I should paint.

So, I've been an artist since birth, basically.

And that's just who I am.

But I grew up in a time and place where it wasn't a profession

that was encouraged.

I still hear, wow, this is what you do, like full-time, you know?

And I'm like, yeah, I'm an artist, you know?

When is this going to be accepted?

So, uh...

Do you have a degree to fall back on?

I do not.

I am a self-taught artist, so that is part of my story.

So, my parents were trying to make ends meet,

and it was really hard because I wanted to go to art school,

but they couldn't afford it.

And being that art wasn't really encouraged as a profession.

I didn't know what to do with my life.

So, it was very lost.

And I, this is going to sound grim,

but I thought that work was something that you did

until you died.

And, you know, that was it.

You didn't enjoy it.

So, I thought that dreams were reserved for people who had money, you know?

People whose parents had money or people with money.

And I wasn't allowed to have them.

So, I said no more, and I finally listened to that voice.

And I, I encourage other people to do the same.

So, I knew that that journey that brought me to the streets of Europe

where I was painting wasn't just for me.

It was for everyone.

It was for everyone to discover and hear and listen.

Finally, to that voice within their hearts.

No matter what it's telling you to do,

it doesn't have to be telling you to do something crazy.

Like, give up everything and go to the streets of Europe to paint,

but are you happy?

Are you doing something that makes you happy?

And if not, why not?

So, listening to that voice.

We are hearing from artifacts tonight.

And I just, I'm already enjoying this conversation.

My uncle worked at a paper mill his entire career after the Navy.

But I remember his retirement party,

put up his glass in a toast and said,

I hated that job every single day.

But I'm done.

And if any of you feel that way,

please change what you're doing.

So, you are bringing this art to life.

You're bringing your story.

What was it like to be able to go to Spain

and paint murals in spaces all over the place?

I mean, did that solidify with you that, yes, I can do this?

So, it wasn't that I got to go to Spain.

I made it happen.

There you go.

So, that voice in my heart said paint.

And everyone thought I was crazy.

I sold my things and I listened to that voice

because my first painting that I made as an adult

was six feet wide by, I think, three feet high.

And it wasn't big enough.

I just, I wanted to go bigger.

So, I found a cheap, cheap place in Barcelona

that I could stay in.

And back then they were cheap, you know, don't try it now.

But I found a really cheap spot to stay.

And I didn't know people who painted there.

I was guided by my heart and intuition solely.

And I'm like, I'm here to paint.

I'm not going to give up.

And that first day that I was painting street art.

So, there's a difference between a student and murals.

So, at that point, I was painting street art.

And that first time that I was on the street painting,

I was home.

You can't explain it when your destiny is unfolding

within you in that moment and you know it and you feel it.

And as I said before, I knew that I wasn't just doing this

for me.

This was a journey for so many people.

And now it makes sense looking back.

But I wasn't allowed to give up.

I wasn't going to let myself give up.

And it's been great.

It's been real hard though.

I'm not going to act like it hasn't been difficult

because it still is.

A lot of times, I mean, I'm heartbroken, you know,

some days because there's so much effort put into what I do

to get the job done or even get that work.

And it's crazy.

But I'm still doing what I want to do and what I love

and what I'm passionate about and it shows.

And people see that and they don't just see what I'm creating

but they're seeing what I'm doing and why I'm doing it.

And that makes a huge difference.

Like you were talking about your uncle.

Yeah.

You know, and it's just when I'm having a bad day,

I think about that story.

Yes.

And then I think, okay, I am fortunate.

And as you said, it can be tough some days.

I'm going to lighten it up though.

Yes.

What about the craziest place?

That you've ever had to paint.

Oh my goodness.

Were you hanging upside down?

Were you doing summer?

I don't know.

Yeah.

My real sweetheart name is Batman.

No, I would say, you know, now that we're talking about it,

one of the craziest places has been jail.

I was not incarcerated personally,

but I was working with the men in jail.

But also, I would say an abandoned tobacco factory

in Madrid, Spain.

Oh my gosh.

Yeah, that was incredible.

There were just like,

caverns upon caverns of this incredible

and not so incredible.

Street art and graffiti.

And as I was spray painting,

the wall was blowing apart onto my face and my mind

because it was just ancient dust, you know?

Yeah.

So, but it was incredible.

And then people think about this and they glamorize it,

but there were drug addicts outside the door shooting up.

There was, I was warned, keep everything on your body

as you're painting.

So, it's, yeah, it's, there are,

not, I shouldn't say a lot of stories like that,

but very unique stories like that where,

yes, you have to watch yourself

and trust your intuition in those moments, of course.

I think you could write a book after,

yeah, after all of your adventures.

I am writing a book.

Did you actually do that?

Because yes, it's not.

I am writing a book about the journey to read it.

Seriously, yes.

I'm presently writing a book.

That is excellent.

Yes, I'm glad.

Why speed?

So, I have always been drawn to Barcelona

since I was a kid.

I mean, it's another piece where I feel like

that map in your heart tells you,

and you just, you feel at home in certain places

that you travel to.

And I hadn't, I had been there once before,

and when I was there, I just, I felt like,

this is me, this is an expression of me,

and just the architecture and the art that I had seen growing up.

I just, I had always wanted to go,

and when I did go there, I was inspired

by some of the beautiful street art.

And when I wanted to paint bigger,

it was like that, I just knew.

I just knew I have to go there, and I have to paint.

And you did it.

And I did it.

I thought I was crazy.

And that was the time when-

Art they the fools.

And it was the time when murals were not popular yet in the US.

So, that is another layer where people were in, or street art,

it wasn't hot to be a street artist at that point.

It was like, no, seriously, are you gonna get a job?

Like, where can we see your around town?

Do you have some stuff on there?

I do, so I, actually, if you wanna check my website,

there's a great record of the stories.

So I do a lot of community work in addition

to working for clients or companies, et cetera.

So, and I do public art as well.

So I work with fabrication firm, and we create our pieces together.

But I have under the Manona underpass

at the end of Manona Drive those waves.

Yeah.

Oh, yeah.

That one?

Oh, my.

Yeah.

And I have a couple on Manona Drive.

I have a couple on Atwood, Ohio Tavern.

And I decorated the outside and inside.

Wow.

And, oh, my gosh, I'm trying to think of all of the other ones.

It's like, what is your website so we can kind of find them?

It's autofax.com, that's a-u-d-i-f-a-x.com.

Yeah.

And then Rusty B lounge, art house 360 in Verona.

You play as a DJ at the Rusty B lounge in Fitzburg.

I do.

Is that correct?

Yeah.

You have a bunch of upcoming shows.

Tell us about those quick.

Yes.

So it's typically, so next Saturday,

I'm going to be playing there from 7 to 11.

And so that is on, I believe it's the 27th next Saturday.

Yes, I believe so.

So the 27th, I'll be playing there.

And I usually play there the last Saturday of the month.

On Halloween though, we're going to have a party.

So it's going to be on Friday and Halloween the 31st.

We're going to do a costume party.

It's going to be crazy.

It's going to be amazing.

It's a great spot if you haven't been there.

We're just going to have a blast.

So that's going to start at 7 p.m.

I'm sure we're going to go later than 11.

So it'll be, it's going to be nuts.

You got to come out.

I also want to ask you a real quick about Instagram

is great for photos, obviously, in photos of your work.

Yes.

Press your website, auditfax.com, sorry about that, a-u-d-i-f-a-x.com.

What about Instagram?

Are you on there?

Yes, yes, I am.

And I also just finished a piece in Sun Prairie for a mural fast.

So definitely check that out.

So that's the latest on my Instagram, which is Audifax Art.

So just find my hashtag or my at Audifax Art, my name on there.

It's the same for Facebook, Audifax Art.

So yeah, we will share all of this with all of our listeners.

Absolutely.

I appreciate it.

Oh my gosh.

What a wonderful conversation.

Please keep doing your art.

I sell.

Thank you so much.

Absolutely.

Thank you for coming in to talk with us.

Of course.

All right.

Audifax.

Thank you so much.

We really appreciate it.

All right.

Now we have another song from a local band that we call Porky's Guru Machine.

This is sad.

We're listening to Max and Gradio.

We are local music.

Brought, brandy, cow chips, and great local music.

This is Max and Gradio.

We are local music.