Jeffrey Michael Austin is an interdisciplinary artist and musician based in Chicago. Through a variety of sculptural and installation processes, Austin composes situations characterized by instability, impermanence and illusion — inviting from their visitors a sense of empathy, mindfulness and openness to the unknown. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, with recent solo-exhibitions at Heaven Gallery, Bert Green Fine Art, The Luminary and Chicago Artists Coalition and with group exhibitions and performances in such venues as The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, The Art Institute of Chicago, Société d’Électricité (Belgium), The Smart Museum of Art, Hyde Park Art Center, Le Carreau de Cergy (Paris), Kunstenfestival Watou (Belgium), Lehr Zeitgenössische Kunst (Berlin), Fondation Vasarely (Aix-en-Provence), Steppenwolf Theatre, Harold Washington Library and Terrain Exhibitions. //

Proposed Commission Approach:
As my visual art practice spans many forms, scales and mediums, the spectrum of possibility when approaching a commission project is broad and malleable. I prefer to work closely with patrons at the early stages of design in every commission project, coming to understand the desires and sensibilities guiding their interest in the commission. These interests often span from the formal and practical (home aesthetic, personal tastes, budget) to the political and philosophical (what do they look for in an artwork, how do they hope it will operate in its proposed site, why?). With these conversations, I can be sure to design and materialize a work that feels closer to unique social collaboration than mere financial sponsorship. The resulting works can range from modest-sized wall pieces to large, site-specific permanent installations.