Logan Maxwell Hagege Returns - On Taking Action & Finding Balance

Mountain & Prairie with Ed Roberson

Logan Maxwell Hagege is an Ojai, CA-based contemporary artist with modern visions of the American West. Logan is no stranger to longtime Mountain & Prairie listeners—he first joined me on the podcast back in 2019, and he made another appearance in 2022 alongside several other renowned Western artists in an episode recorded live at Maxwell Alexander Gallery’s 10-year anniversary exhibition. In this episode, I reconnected with Logan at his Ojai studio, and we caught up on a long list of fascinating topics, including his upcoming exhibition at the Gerald Peters Gallery in New York City titled Flowers Will Grow.

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Since our first podcast conversation, Logan’s artistic career has continued to skyrocket, and his work has earned the acclaim of a growing number of collectors, critics, and journalists. Most recently, his painting titled “Time and Space” won Best in Show at the Autry’s Masters of the American West show. He’s also been featured in all corners of the Western art world, including a recent spread in Western Art and Architecture and collaborations with well-known brands such as Stetson and Pendleton. But perhaps most impressively, he’s accomplished all of this success while being a deeply committed husband and father of two young children.

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As you’ll hear in this conversation, Logan works extremely hard and is fully committed to exploring new realms of his artistic interests, but he brings balance and calmness to what could easily become an all-consuming obsession. I caught Logan just as he was wrapping up all the final details for his upcoming show, and we had a fun discussion about a wide range of topics, including: The intensity of preparing for a show, accepting the judgment that comes with showing art, his practice of constant doodling, how living in Ojai has changed his approach, the importance of self-talk, Georgia O’Keefe, the idea that perfection is boring, the need for action, and much more. Check out the episode notes for a full list of topics discussed and links to everything.

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And if you happen to be in New York, the Flowers Will Grow exhibition will open with a reception with Logan on Thursday evening, April 18, 2024, and will be on display through May 23rd. There’s a link in the episode notes with all of that information.

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A huge thanks to Logan for letting me barge into his studio during such a busy time and a huge thanks to you for listening. Enjoy!

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• Logan Maxwell Hagege
• Logan on Instagram
• Flowers Will Grow at the Gerald Peters Gallery NYC
• Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/lmh-2/

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

2:45 - What the hell is happening in Logan’s studio, and his upcoming show in New York

5:15 - Why Logan is working with a gallery outside of the Maxwell-Alexander Gallery

7:30 - Whether Logan was nervous the last time he showed his art in New York

9:00 - The impact of being able to show more examples of an artist’s work

11:15 - How periods of intensity and external pressure have shaped Logan’s work

12:45 - How Logan’s art has changed since his 2018 show

14:30 - What a Logan’s process looks like when there isn’t external pressure from deadlines

17:45 - Logan’s doodling process

19:45 - The need for action

23:30 - How Logan deals with the fact that unique art will be judged

27:45 - Discussing perfection and how boring it is

28:45 - Who Logan admires

31:15 - Discussing Georgia O’Keefe

32:45 - Discussing Logan’s life in Ojai

40:00 - The importance of retreat for Logan’s art

42:00 - The impact of self-talk

44:30 - Discussing the new gallery

47:45 - Logan’s book and artist recommendations

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