San Marcos — Chicken George Zupp doesn’t just pride himself on his smoked chicken drumsticks. Local artist Chicken George is famous for his chicken head fence house on Hopkins Street — dozens of wooden rooster heads poking out between the white posts in the front yard.
And his art? Well, that involves collages made from coffee grounds, grocery stamps and cut-out words from 70s horror comic strips.
But there will be plenty of drumsticks to go around when he cooks them at his own artist’s reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday at the Eyes of Texas Gallery in San Marcos.
“I don’t trust galleries, they screw up the food all the time,” Zupp said. “I used to do catering gigs, and I have all these recipes I want to try out. To me, when you have an artist’s reception, it’s like you’re hosting a party. I like to cook, so it doesn’t bother me (to cook at my own reception).”
Another thing that Chicken George likes is San Marcos. Though he’s based in San Antonio right now, a few weeks away from a master’s degree in sculpture from the University of Texas-San Antonio, he’s used a lot of what he remembers from his time in San Marcos as inspiration for this show.
“Most of the work in the show is based on old sculptures: I invent these smokers and houses and weird barns,” Zupp said. “There used to be tons of old buildings in the early 90s (in San Marcos), you could still see old houses and certain things that have since been removed. I guess it’s inevitable. But it really changes the character of San Marcos.”
That change he speaks of also motivated him to create rooster heads on the picket fence in his front yard. In 2001, amid controversy surrounding the proposed loop in San Marcos, Zupp thought it would be a good idea to put up the angry roosters. He called it a “psychological barrier.”
“I knew a lot of the ‘new’ people in San Marcos would try and domesticate it, and I didn’t like anything like that,” George said. “It was sort of a ‘Keep Austin Weird’ thing, only for San Marcos.”
Zupp started painting in high school, and by the time he became involved with the San Marcos art community, he found himself cooking. Zupp says that he’d cook at local receptions and cook at parties for friends. And he’s built up dozens of recipes along the way.
So which one — the food or the art — is more rewarding?
“A little bit of both,” Zupp said. “I make more art than I do food, plus I’m on a diet so I can’t really get too much into the cooking thing,” Zupp said. “When I have these events I can work to make the perfect dishes, but if I did that all the time I’d balloon up like a pig.”
And for anyone who loves his smoked chicken — or any neighbors waiting for those angry rooster heads to come down on Hopkins — Chicken George isn’t going anywhere after graduation.
“I’m definitely going to stick around San Marcos a lot, that’s my main base,” Zupp said. “A lot of artists come and go, but this is all I’ve got.”
Features
Related Photos
-
George Zupp sets up a painting for the artist’s reception to be held Saturday at the Eyes of Texas Gallery in San Marcos. Zupp began painting as a hobby in high school. (Photo by Ashley Landis) Ashley Landis
The Return of Chicken George
Local artist knows how to cook, too
- Features
-
-
Veggie Heaven
“Vegetables can be beautiful,” says Suzi Fields, and a case in point is her artfully landscaped curbside garden at 1013 Field Street (names Suzi Fields and Field Street are coincidental), which is Spring Lake Garden Club Yard of the Month.
-
HEB customers the big winners in Souper Bowl project
HEB customers throughout Kyle, Buda and San Marcos unanimously win MVP for this year's Souper Bowl of Caring, says local food bank community relations coordinator Jane Moore.
-
A Culinary Adventure
If the quickest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, then true, long-lasting love exists through a pair of adventurous eaters.
-
Plenty of love going into TVM fundraiser
More than 200 volunteers, 30 flats of strawberries, 470 pounds of chocolate and immeasurable amounts of love go into True Vineyards Ministries annual valentine's chocolate-covered strawberry sale.
-
Food for Thought
Several Hays County youth participated in the District 10 4-H Food Challenge held recently at Texas State University.
-
Discover new, great reads with BookLetters website
“I was watching The Today Show and they reviewed Elizabeth the Queen by Sally Bedell Smith."
-
The Heat is On
It should come as no surprise that the next few months will be drier and warmer than normal.
-
Celebrating a Legend
Doug Lawrence was an up-and-coming tenor sax player, having played with Benny Goodman, Dizzy Gillespie and more, when he crossed paths with jazz pioneer — and San Marcos native — Eddie Durham in 1982.
-
‘Happy Birthday’ perfect antidote for winter blues
As the perfect antidote to winter blues, the Wimberley Players will open a rollicking farce, “Happy Birthday” by Marc Camoletti and adapted by Beverley Cross, today at the Wimberley Playhouse.
-
Counting down the many uses of corn
Nothing is more American than corn.
- More Features Headlines
-
Authorities: Houston Found Underwater in Tub
Arm Wrestler Not Guilty Plea in Wife's Death
Raw Video: Houston Body Flown From L.A. to N.J.
First Person: Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show
Obama's New Budget: The Winners and Losers
Gregoire: Marriage Equality Is Right for Wash.
Bacteria Keep Swimmers Off Some Fla. Beaches
Police: Houston Found Under Water, Unconscious
Sandusky Can See Grandkids, Have Local Jury
Obama Unveils $3.8 Trillion Budget
Raw Video: Israeli Embassy Car Attacked
Coroner: Don't Know Houston's Cause of Death Yet
Valentine Greetings Sent Worldwide From Loveland
Greek Austerity Measures Spark Riots
Raw Video: Obama Budget Goes to Capitol Hill
Arab League Wants U.N. Help in Syria
Nordic Festival Puts North Korea in Spotlight
'Rumor Has It' Adele's Rolling in the Grammys
Grohl, Grammy Nominees Cut Up on the Red Carpet
Greece Passes New Austerity Deal Amid Rioting
