Meet Corwin Levi | Artist & Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Corwin Levi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Corwin, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
In the middle of a project (or sometimes even before I start!), I can get to a sticky and frustrating point where I’m not sure whether to keep going or cut my losses. I’ve learned that it’s a fine balance between doing what I’m excited about (the only way to make creative work) and also understanding that *any* work will require a bit of perseverance after the joy wears off. Now, in most instances the joy does come back at a certain point! That said, there is also a difference between “giving up” and “stepping away.” I am all for stepping away. A nap, a shower, a roadtrip across the country—these things all help with perspective and can move or transform a suddenly-troubling endeavor into a much improved one. In other words, I don’t believe in giving up so much as I believe in transformation. Every success, every mistake, is information that makes the next step slightly more sure-footed. And taking those steps down life’s path is, ultimately, all we ever do.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
In my current body of work, I am remixing vintage game board pieces into collages where the game never ends and there is no way out: only in, through, and over again. I am playing with the absurdity of a clean life narrative and the idea that if anyone plays by the rules they might win the game of life.

I am also remixing vintage illustrations of Grimms’ Tales and Alice in Wonderland into new versions of these books. I love the idea that a place… whether the Black Forest or Wonderland or somewhere else… can leave the original author’s pen and become a space that we can all inhabit. As these various illustrations come together, a world becomes more than the sum of its parts. The place becomes somewhere anyone can go, spend some time in, see it as they say it, and leave their experience for the next person to encounter. I take a lot of joy in chronicling these visits.

I love collaborating, whether with living people or Golden Age illustrators. This also speaks to my work as a co-founder of the design firm Gwarlingo Studio, where I am lucky enough to help people translate their visions and dreams into books, websites, album covers, and a range of other media. I think a good collaboration is never especially easy (I don’t need a second copy of me!), but always incredibly worthwhile.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Cleveland has a fantastic range of contemporary and historical culture. I especially enjoy art tucked away into the landscape, like Worden’s Ledges or the Henry Church Rock. The Cleveland Museum of Art is world class (and free!). I also appreciate one of the best metropark systems in the country, and recommend both Cleveland Metroparks and Cuyahoga Valley National Park as places to wander around and find some space for thinking. I don’t want to give away all the best outdoor spots, but explore the parks and you’ll find them (some a little secret) and appreciate them all the more when you do.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
James McNeill Whistler was famously asked how he could justify such a high price for a painting that had only taken two days to complete. He replied that the price was, rather, for “the knowledge of a lifetime.” This quote has always compelled me to put copious amounts of labor into my work with the hopes that, one day, I might arrive at a place where such maximalism is rewarded with the brevity of wisdom.

Website: https://corwinlevi.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/corwinlevi/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corwinlevi

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/corwinlevi

Other: https://gwarlingostudio.com