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Salon Magazine
One of the most established and continually surprising modern artists on the scene is Mykul Reesto, or as he is known in the art world, simply REESTO.
The hot areas of the country are obviously New York and LA, so one wouldn't expect an avant garde artist to be based out of Milltown, Wisconsin. But Mykul Reesto not only lives in a non descript town in Wisconsin, he uses it for inspiration.
Reesto at the Avante Garde Awards, 2014.Photo courtesy of POUT magazine
His studio sits in a rural area, and it's modest. He lives alone, save for his 3 assistants, Carmello, Brazen, and WonTon.
Left to right: Carmello, Brazen, and WonTon. Photo by Reesto.
Salon Magazine sat down with Mr Reesto at his studio and discussed, among other things, his fondness for Jeeps and big trucks, and his latest piece, one he calls "Conestoga Love Chariot" His assistant Brazen brought lemongrass tea, and Reesto settled into a chair, with his Shih Tzu 'Lord Farlimore' on his lap.
Salon: Thanks for sitting with us, Mr Reesto.
Reesto: Please, call me Mykul.
Salon: Thank you, Mykul. Tell us, how did you end up here? It took us forever to find your studio...
Reesto: Well, after living in New York and LA, I'd just had enough. It's so bitter out there. I needed a change, so I spun the bottle....well, WonTon spun the bottle...and here we are.
Salon: It's very....
Reesto: It's a hole, ok? You can say it. My gracious...try and find lox and bagel. It can't be done. These people bring things over to the house called 'hot dishes', and they're always covered in cheese. But that's part of the appeal, at least in terms of where my art is at now. Turning the feeling of loneliness and desolation into a piece that speaks to my audience..
Salon: Your latest piece, you call it "Conestoga..."
Reesto: "Conestoga Love Chariot", yes. The piece is a metaphor. My inspiration comes from my fascination for the Conestoga wagons that brought the settlers out west, along with the love vans of the late 60s and 70s. Combining those 2 elements in a balanced, organic way resulted in this piece. I'm very proud of it.
Salon: Can you elaborate?
Reesto: Well....I don't like to explain my art....But clearly the piece combines both the elements of the covered wagons that helped settle the west and the love vans, as I said. Look at the interior....is it clean and pristine? No, of course not. The settlers lived in the *&%$# things and they died in them. Do you think they had time to clean them up? Of course not...they might be dying of dysentery next week, who had time to clean? The interior shows the realities that faced them. It's completely utilitarian and stark, more towards the front. The plain door panels, the torn seats....BUT.....what are the elements of the love vans? How can I combine the two? That was my challenge...
Salon: And how did you....
Reesto: Combine the 2 elements? As we move to the rear, we start finding different incongruent elements. The speakers make a statement. The color combinations make a statement. There were plenty of drugs then, good drugs, and it showed in the colors. We see orange, we see black, we see red...then we notice how the carpet doesn't fully cover the speakers...so what does that say? It says....'We're making love, we're on drugs....who cares, man?" The hippies had alot in common with the settlers in that sense. One was poor taste born out of the barren struggle for survival, the other was being bombed on drugs. See the dichotomy? We've come full circle, from different starting points.
Interior, Conestoga Love Chariot. Photo by Reesto
Salon: One notices the side pipes...
Reesto: Ah, the side pipes. Yes, they truly complete the piece. I was telling Carmello and WonTon about the vans of the era, and explaining side pipes, and WonTon mentioned he saw something like that at the recycle center. We loaded up the Navigator and went down there and sure enough, there they were. Cost us $12 for both of them. The piece wouldn't live without them. We were tickled to find them.
Conestoga Love Chariot. Photo by Reesto.
Salon: The paint is interesting.....it's not quite shiny.
Reesto: Ah, you noticed. Yes, the paint is covered with tree sap. There's a curmudgeon up here that sells it in Jars, he uses it for everything. It gives the paint...I don't know...I wouldn't call it a sheen. More of a sticky surface that attracts bugs and dirt. But that's good for the piece. It serves the same purpose as tobacco spit on the covered wagons.
Salon: Both the Conestogas and the love vans went away...
Reesto: Went the way of the Dodo bird and girdle. They invented the car, the west was settled, the hippies grew up....the era was gone. What came next? Disco.....roller blades....PORTED VACUUM! Good lord...do you know why they went to ported vacuum? Do you? It was emissions! That's why!
Salon: Vacuum?
Reesto: (Reesto puts Lord Farlimore down, and leans in) PORTED VACUUM! Let me ask you....what takes longer to burn? A rich mixture? Or a lean one?
(Reesto has his assistance pull out a chalkboard and spends a half hour explaining ignition theory. We sit down later)
Reesto: Do you understand now?
Salon: Yes, thank you. You're right...again.
Reesto: Anyway, the Conestoga Love Chariot is for sale. I'll be going in a different direction with my next projects. I have become fascinated with excess...how big can a vehicle be? What are the limits of excessive consumption? The Lincoln Navigator.... I even find the name fascinating. Do you know they come with power running boards? They move up and down when you open the door...or they're supposed to anyway.
Salon: We look forward to it, thanks so much for your time.
Reesto: Absolutely. Drive careful, watch the ditches on your way out.
Conestoga Love Chariot, by Reesto - $5199
One of the most established and continually surprising modern artists on the scene is Mykul Reesto, or as he is known in the art world, simply REESTO.
The hot areas of the country are obviously New York and LA, so one wouldn't expect an avant garde artist to be based out of Milltown, Wisconsin. But Mykul Reesto not only lives in a non descript town in Wisconsin, he uses it for inspiration.
Reesto at the Avante Garde Awards, 2014.Photo courtesy of POUT magazine
His studio sits in a rural area, and it's modest. He lives alone, save for his 3 assistants, Carmello, Brazen, and WonTon.
Left to right: Carmello, Brazen, and WonTon. Photo by Reesto.
Salon Magazine sat down with Mr Reesto at his studio and discussed, among other things, his fondness for Jeeps and big trucks, and his latest piece, one he calls "Conestoga Love Chariot" His assistant Brazen brought lemongrass tea, and Reesto settled into a chair, with his Shih Tzu 'Lord Farlimore' on his lap.
Salon: Thanks for sitting with us, Mr Reesto.
Reesto: Please, call me Mykul.
Salon: Thank you, Mykul. Tell us, how did you end up here? It took us forever to find your studio...
Reesto: Well, after living in New York and LA, I'd just had enough. It's so bitter out there. I needed a change, so I spun the bottle....well, WonTon spun the bottle...and here we are.
Salon: It's very....
Reesto: It's a hole, ok? You can say it. My gracious...try and find lox and bagel. It can't be done. These people bring things over to the house called 'hot dishes', and they're always covered in cheese. But that's part of the appeal, at least in terms of where my art is at now. Turning the feeling of loneliness and desolation into a piece that speaks to my audience..
Salon: Your latest piece, you call it "Conestoga..."
Reesto: "Conestoga Love Chariot", yes. The piece is a metaphor. My inspiration comes from my fascination for the Conestoga wagons that brought the settlers out west, along with the love vans of the late 60s and 70s. Combining those 2 elements in a balanced, organic way resulted in this piece. I'm very proud of it.
Salon: Can you elaborate?
Reesto: Well....I don't like to explain my art....But clearly the piece combines both the elements of the covered wagons that helped settle the west and the love vans, as I said. Look at the interior....is it clean and pristine? No, of course not. The settlers lived in the *&%$# things and they died in them. Do you think they had time to clean them up? Of course not...they might be dying of dysentery next week, who had time to clean? The interior shows the realities that faced them. It's completely utilitarian and stark, more towards the front. The plain door panels, the torn seats....BUT.....what are the elements of the love vans? How can I combine the two? That was my challenge...
Salon: And how did you....
Reesto: Combine the 2 elements? As we move to the rear, we start finding different incongruent elements. The speakers make a statement. The color combinations make a statement. There were plenty of drugs then, good drugs, and it showed in the colors. We see orange, we see black, we see red...then we notice how the carpet doesn't fully cover the speakers...so what does that say? It says....'We're making love, we're on drugs....who cares, man?" The hippies had alot in common with the settlers in that sense. One was poor taste born out of the barren struggle for survival, the other was being bombed on drugs. See the dichotomy? We've come full circle, from different starting points.
Interior, Conestoga Love Chariot. Photo by Reesto
Salon: One notices the side pipes...
Reesto: Ah, the side pipes. Yes, they truly complete the piece. I was telling Carmello and WonTon about the vans of the era, and explaining side pipes, and WonTon mentioned he saw something like that at the recycle center. We loaded up the Navigator and went down there and sure enough, there they were. Cost us $12 for both of them. The piece wouldn't live without them. We were tickled to find them.
Conestoga Love Chariot. Photo by Reesto.
Salon: The paint is interesting.....it's not quite shiny.
Reesto: Ah, you noticed. Yes, the paint is covered with tree sap. There's a curmudgeon up here that sells it in Jars, he uses it for everything. It gives the paint...I don't know...I wouldn't call it a sheen. More of a sticky surface that attracts bugs and dirt. But that's good for the piece. It serves the same purpose as tobacco spit on the covered wagons.
Salon: Both the Conestogas and the love vans went away...
Reesto: Went the way of the Dodo bird and girdle. They invented the car, the west was settled, the hippies grew up....the era was gone. What came next? Disco.....roller blades....PORTED VACUUM! Good lord...do you know why they went to ported vacuum? Do you? It was emissions! That's why!
Salon: Vacuum?
Reesto: (Reesto puts Lord Farlimore down, and leans in) PORTED VACUUM! Let me ask you....what takes longer to burn? A rich mixture? Or a lean one?
(Reesto has his assistance pull out a chalkboard and spends a half hour explaining ignition theory. We sit down later)
Reesto: Do you understand now?
Salon: Yes, thank you. You're right...again.
Reesto: Anyway, the Conestoga Love Chariot is for sale. I'll be going in a different direction with my next projects. I have become fascinated with excess...how big can a vehicle be? What are the limits of excessive consumption? The Lincoln Navigator.... I even find the name fascinating. Do you know they come with power running boards? They move up and down when you open the door...or they're supposed to anyway.
Salon: We look forward to it, thanks so much for your time.
Reesto: Absolutely. Drive careful, watch the ditches on your way out.
Conestoga Love Chariot, by Reesto - $5199
in particular. NO WONDER he never allows me near the studio when they are working their magic. (If someone from Salon Mag. cld get in touch. No pms. Mykul is on the board of admins here&may intercept the transmission. Send info/pics to 
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