Today we’d like to introduce you to Travis White.
Hi Travis, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Born and raised in Houston but Austin-based for the last 14 years. As an only child, drawing and writing were my go-to vices to entertain myself. Shortly after, I found my affinity for film and music. Going as far as once being in a band as the lead vocalist/songwriter and am currently an active Austin-based filmmaker and screenwriter. Finding WALLofWORDS was an effort to combine all of my passions into a project/business that scratches every itch while providing a unique approach to art that would finally aid in me standing out from any crowd.
I’ve seen the style before (called “Calligram,” by the way. I’ve been making Calligrams for over 4 years now and only *just* discovered last year that there was even an actual, technical term for it) but on a much smaller scale.
I don’t know what spurred the idea at the time. Still, my first attempt at making a calligram came from transcribing an old Chappelle Show sketch where Charlie Murphy competed against Prince in a game of basketball and finding the handwritten words was just enough to fit an entire index card with the image of Dave Chappelle dressed in a blouse, holding a platter of pancakes. From there, I’d continue experimenting with random song lyrics, other comedy sketch transcriptions, and popular comedy podcast quotables. Loving every medium, I kept pushing myself to expand and experiment to see how far I could make the style. And as it turns out, the limit is 24 “x18” bristol paper and movie screenplays under ~130 pages! The song lyrics became album lyrics, then album lyrics became TV scenes, then TV scenes became complete TV episode scripts, and finally, TV episode scripts became full feature-length screenplays.
After three years of playing with the style, I finally decided to try selling poster prints to raise money for our filmmaking, and due to a bit of luck, someone posted one of my posters on TikTok which opened the floodgates of sales, in-person events, and commissioned work which allowed me to quit my job as a courier driver and focus on WALLofWORDSart full time.
Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not. The road to discovering WALLofWORDSart was filled with countless potholes of failed business ventures and various attempts to turn my art into profit via Fiverr portrait sketches, drawing storyboards, or creating niche t-shirt designs. I’ve always been decent to the excellent artist but never had anything that’d set me apart from the ocean of other struggling artists. For years, I’d worked odd jobs with dreams of striking gold and throwing my worthless 9-to-5’s two middle fingers. So, I faced the same obstacles and challenges for years as most starving artists. It took me finding my unique approach to my art to get any balls rolling (finally!). After that, the main challenge is learning the ropes to “the game” and working within the system.
Thanks for sharing that. So, you could tell us a bit more about your work.
My work, which I’ve called WALLofWORDSart, is quite literally that. I take movie screenplays, TV episode scripts, and full album lyrics. I rewrite them entirely by hand, from beginning to end and everything in between, using only the words and letters to construct images representing its source material. I use micron pens, allowing me to play with details/shading through alternating different pen tip sizes, which makes my images pop and adds dimension.
In an ever-growing world of AI art and program scripts, I’m seeing more and more artists popping up utilizing these “hacks” to do exactly what I do without ever having to pick up a pen. And while they crank out pieces at an exponentially higher rate, they’re stale, rigid, and lack any human touch and personality. So I’m proud to be one of a few to put pen to paper in that regard, and the people notice, too.
What’s great about the concept is that it allows me to dabble in many different pop culture sandboxes, opening the floodgates to reaching a wide span of fan bases (Star Wars, Marvel, Taylor Swift, etc.). The style also opens the floodgates to an array of commission ideas. I can do your favorite movie or tv show (as long as the screenplays are available online). I can do your favorite album, a mixtape of shared favorite songs between significant others. I’ve made a piece from someone’s friend’s band’s album. Someone hired me to handwrite the title chapter of their friend’s first published book. I’ve fully transcribed someone’s wedding reception for their first anniversary. The possibilities are endless as long as there are enough words to work with!
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I hate to be “that guy,” and I know these are sentiments often shared among every passing generation of Austinites, but I’ve experienced Austin changing for the worst. Austin is still a cut above most places in Texas (and the country, for that matter), but it’s still been a sad ride to see Austin lose its culture and personality. Everything from the rise of tech-bros to the red washing to the influx of [insert disliked-State transplants] undoubtedly caused a stain on the city I fell in love with in 2009.
The traffic has always been better. The drivers have never been worse. The parking has, well, that’s always been a nightmare. But especially losing so much of Austin’s staples and fingerprints to time and the pandemic has exasperated the loss of what made Austin “Austin.” That said, I still couldn’t imagine living anywhere else in Texas. We still have phenomenal options regarding food or places to grab a drink and be social. Though the sound ordinance has killed Austin’s (and Red River’s) reputation of being the world’s music capital, we still have plenty of great options for live shows on any given night. I’ve loved watching the expanding comedy scene and robust comic community grow. Despite the evil powers that be and their attempt to kill it by slashing nearly all tax incentives, the film community here still stands tall and strong. Everyone involved is amazing and so willing to contribute in any way. My favorite part of Austin is the coffee. I can throw a rock in any direction, and it’ll hit a local coffee shop. My wife and I are obsessed with coffee, and Austin provides an unlimited amount of amazing locations with an unlimited amount of amazing brewers (the brewery scene is phenomenal, too).
However, nothing in Texas beats our art scene. Once you scratch beneath the surface and do your research, you quickly find an overabundance of chances to get your work out there and see. Whether it’s random pop-up markets every weekend, art-specific events and festivals, art galleries, or art-adjacent events that accept artists as vendors, it’s a never-ending trove of networking and opportunity. And you never have to look far to find fellow artists willing to share tips and help you find your footing on the scene.
Pricing:
- 9″ x 12″ prints for $20
- 11″ x 14″ prints for $30
- 18″ x 24″ prints for $40
- Reach out to inquire about Commissions
Contact Info:
- Website: wallofwordsart.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/wallofwordsart/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@wallofwordsart
