AUSTIN ICKES
Austin Ickes is a Medford-based illustrator and cartoonist. His work is characterized by character, communication, and clean lines.
After nearly a decade he’s returned to his hometown to bring the bizarre to the mundane and draw a bunch of little guys all over the place!
Instagram: @sticky_ickes
PICK UP THIS PRINT AT The harvard Science & Engineering complex
ARTIST Q&A
Born: Cambridge, MA
Currently lives: Medford, MA
Title of artwork: “Virtual Pe(s)t”
What’s it about? A couple of years ago I did a series of illustrations inspired by influential websites of the 2000s – 2010s. This one is my interpretation of a certain virtual pet focused site, albeit slightly bizarrely.
Where else can we find your work? Most of my drawings can be found on instagram! (Even the embarrassing ones from 10 years ago).
Where is your favorite public art piece in the area? Does the Hood Milk bottle by the Children’s Museum count?
Who is your favorite Boston-area artist to follow? There’s a local painter named Diane Nelson whose abstract landscapes are truly inspiring.
What’s your favorite way to spend a day off? Honestly… getting to spend the whole day drawing and then STAYING UP ALL NIGHT!!!!
What was your top song for 2023? It didn’t come out in 2023 but: toe – Goodbye
Favorite place for food in the Allston/Brighton area? Wherever has the cheapest falafel :^)
What have you learned about your creative practice in recent years? Maintaining a consistent sketchbook practice is invaluable for ideation, note-taking, experimentation, AND keeping track of your bills!
What is a piece of advice you would give to your past self as a young artist? Do more figure drawings and don’t be afraid to use reference. What you make doesn’t have to be world-changing or perfect just make it!
What is your dream project to work on? I would love to lock myself in a room for 90 days and emerge with a fully-grown comic in tow. That or spot illustrations for the New Yorker.
