In anticipation of the From Dusk Till Dawn auction, Alexia Wright sat down with DeltaSauce to discuss the artist's personal life, his extensive career, and the motivations behind his first physical release.
Alexia Wright: You have said that you like creating something from nothing. How does this philosophy influence your approach to AI art?
DeltaSauce: My father was a carpenter and a woodworker, and he instilled in me the value of having resources. He would give me a pile of wood, and I would turn it into something new. There is a lot of power in being able to take something and transform it. I consider myself a collage artist, with a white canvas available to me, and I can take things and make something new. I enjoy coming up with off-the-wall ideas and being able to go in so many directions with them.
Creativity is a powerful tool in and of itself.
DeltaSauce and his father, ca. 1998
AW: How do you know when creativity has struck or when there is an idea in your mind that you need to share?
DS: I am a very visual person. When I go on hikes with my dog, I see different perspectives and angles. For example, I may get inspired by clouds and when I return home, I have the urge to create a series of clouds. I also draw inspiration from the foliage around me in Texas, where I am based in, which has a lot of beautiful landscapes and rolling hills.
I live in a suburban area, and when I step out my door, I see a row of cookie-cutter houses. It is breathtaking to me because this is what I dreamed of experiencing. Having grown up in trailer parks, being in this suburban setting sparks my creativity and encourages me to explore new directions. Creativity strikes when I connect the dots between what I dreamed of experiencing as a kid and what I can now experience as an adult.
AW: If you think about that little person who you were and where you are at in life now, including the type of work you do and where you live, what would that boy say?
DS: I think he would be proud because I was able to follow my passion and turn it into a career. Growing up, I worked at a grocery store and I thought that I would always be there. I never thought I could pursue what I love, but taking risks has been worth it for me. The kid version of me would be happy and proud of where I am.
AW: What would you say to that little boy?
DS: I would say that even though that there are going to be hard times, it will all be worth it. Everything that I have experienced has allowed me to mature and grow, and has led me to this moment.
DeltaSauce Riding his Bike, ca 2002
AW: You once aspired to be a Volcanologist, a path quite different from the one you ultimately chose. What do you think your life would look like today if you had followed that path?
DS: I think I would still be happy because I love geology as a whole. For me, when I look at a volcano, I see this destructive force, but it is also creative—it creates land masses, adds to the terrain, and shapes the topography. My science teacher in high school pushed me towards geology, but life took a different path for me. It was sad that I could not pursue geology, but I am happy with where I am right now.
AW: You often post about your relationship with your father. How has your relationship with him influenced your work as an artist?
DS: Growing up, my dad was a workaholic. He worked a lot, and so did my mom. It was often just me at home. The moments when I got to hang out with my dad were special; he did a lot of yard work and spent time in his shop behind our house. He did woodworking and furniture fixing there, which really influenced me to work hard and pursue what I love.
He always instilled in me not to worry about money, but to find something I love and put my all into it. He believed the money would come eventually, and that has been my focus—putting my best effort into my artwork without worrying about sales.
Being a full-time artist has been possible because of this mindset. While money is important, I am hyper-focused on my passion and giving it my all, ensuring people see that dedication. My dad showed me that hard work pays off and to follow what I love.
I also owe him my appreciation of film, which greatly influences my artwork. Lighting and tonality, setting the mood in my pieces, are concepts I draw from the films we used to watch together. He instilled this passion in me early on, and I am grateful for that.
AW: Nostalgia is a theme that you aim to convey in your work. What memory or moment from your past has directly inspired one of your artworks and how did you translate that memory into a creation?
DS: My artwork titled Candle Lit represents those moments growing up when my mom and dad were not home, and I was alone at the kitchen table eating dinner by myself. The scene shows three chairs, candles, and no food, symbolizing the yearning for more time with my parents and to have family meals together.
I like to explore these emotional threads from my childhood because there were many fond memories but also times when I was alone after school, having to fend for myself. These experiences deeply influenced my childhood memories.
Candle Lit, 2023
AW: What thoughts go through your mind when you are creating such deeply personal works?
DS: As an artist, you have to balance your memories, emotions, and how you draw the viewer into your world. Digging deep into your past as an artist and drawing from memories can evoke emotional angst. There have been collections I have created where I ended up in tears because I felt deep sadness in myself.
Expressing these emotions in my artwork and effectively conveying them to viewers is paramount for me. If I am pouring myself into creating art, I want to authentically represent and share my emotions.
Pulling from my memories is challenging, as it opens me up to vulnerability. It is not quite therapy, but it does help me to process emotions and the past.
AW: Let’s talk about your From Dusk Til Dawn collection that will be auctioned through Tribul. The works in this collection capture the events from one evening. What led you to create a body of work that builds on each piece?
DS: I wanted to encapsulate the feeling of small-town suburbia and freeze a moment in time from dusk till dawn. There is a quietness to the night when everyone settles in. When I look at this body of work I have created, I hear sounds—the thumping of the laundromat, the quaintness of a suburban neighborhood with birds chirping. I wanted to capture the feeling of emptiness balanced with that nighttime stillness.
AW: How did you choose the scenes that you wish to depict and what is their significance?
DS: I draw ideas and inspiration from my memory. I remember fondly riding my bike around the neighborhood and seeing the lights pop on in little quaint houses as night settled in. I wanted to capture that moment and that is what led me to create Idyllic Street.
In other pieces in the collection, I draw from memories too. There were times growing up when our washer and dryer were broken, so we had to go to the laundromat at 2 a.m. I remember coming home afterward and hanging laundry on the clothesline because we could not afford the dryer. All this artwork is built upon my childhood memories, trying to capture that feeling of quietness mixed with a bit of loneliness and nostalgia.
AW: From which perspective are these works seen, and what can you tell us about that perspective?
DS:
I aim for my art to be devoid of people – when it makes sense - because I want the viewer to experience the piece as if they are the main character, immersed in the artwork.
I want my work to evoke a bit of loneliness because I believe that when we think of nostalgia, we usually envision shades of happiness. There is also a darker side to nostalgia, where we realize that our memories may not be entirely as they seemed. I try to strike a balance emotionally by including people in some works and opting to exclude them from others.
AW: The first work in this collection, Idyllic Street, depicts a neighborhood as the sun is setting. Why did you choose to start the collection with this piece, and what feeling do you hope to convey to viewers?
DS: This was the first piece I created and it was the starting point for how I wanted to represent the idea as a whole. It served as the springboard for the entire series. I aimed to capture the neighborhood feel, with the sun setting and people not yet home from work. I remember creating the clouds was particularly enjoyable. I like adding details to my work. In Photoshop, I refine the AI-generated piece, adding and carving away elements to infuse it with my personal touch.
Idyllic Street, 2024
AW: Looking at this work makes me wonder what is happening inside the homes. What can you tell us about what is taking place behind closed doors?
DS: I love that you are bringing this up because it is one reason I enjoy working on art the way I do. It makes you wonder and gives you a sense of what is happening behind closed doors. What draws me into this artwork is the house in the middle, with its lights on and the detail of smoke from the chimney. I imagine the whole family's home—kids running around, mom cooking dinner, dad mowing the lawn. This piece immerses you and makes you want to listen to sounds and experience the moment. It sparks questions, building a world where people can ponder and create narratives.
AW: Late Night Move evokes a sense of change and uncertainty about what may lie ahead. What significance do these themes have for you?
DS: I moved a lot growing up from trailer park to trailer park. This piece is meant to represent that change.
Life has a lot of changes, and moving is probably the hardest change for me. I get used to a location and do not want to leave; I get comfortable in my routine. Moving was always dramatic; it gave me anxiety not knowing what would be next.
I wanted to capture that anxiety in this artwork because I have experienced it—I still do. I moved this year for the first time in 10 years, and it was stressful, hurrying to get everything done in time and lots of late nights packing the moving truck. Moving at night heightens this feeling. You are in a rush to get to your new place, wanting to rest after a day of moving. I wanted to represent that anxiousness in this piece.
AW: The word “Pepe” on the side of the moving truck lightens the mood of this work. What led you to add this web3 term to the piece?
DS: Pepe has been a funny meme that I have incorporated into several of my works. It ties back to web3 culture and memes in general. As an artist, I like to be playful. I create worlds where Pepe becomes a brand name, bigger than itself. This piece connects with others featuring Pepe. For instance, I named a TV brand "Pepe" in an artwork instead of using the name of a real brand. I enjoy when people connect the dots, seeing Pepe in different works of mine and thinking it is a global brand in that world, like Coca-Cola or Sony.
Late Night Move, 2024
AW: What meaning do you attribute to the detail of the person being barefoot in Laundry Night
DS: Growing up, there were many times when we went to the laundromat, and people were not wearing shoes. You either assume they are drying their shoes or washing them. I have so many fond memories of this. Other kids from the neighborhood would go to the local laundromat with their parents, and they would not have shoes on. Back in the '90s and early 2000s, it was common for people to not wear shoes. I do not know if it was a cultural or socioeconomic thing, but it is a fond memory that always stuck with me.
In the original AI output, the person had shoes on. What I enjoy about creating with AI is that I can change elements, add variances, and layer things together. I focus on AI as a tool. I do not rely on it wholly. It creates the scenes I want, but as the artist, I decide if he has shoes or not, if there is an exit sign or not.
Laundry Night, 2024
AW: What emotions do you believe the person in Laundry Nights is experiencing as they wait?
DS: I think they are deciding whether to go outside to take a smoke break while waiting for their laundry. He has no shoes on, so there is that indecision of whether to risk leaving the laundry and hoping no one takes them or going outside. It is that moment of indecision I wanted to capture. I wanted to imagine having to make that choice myself: do you stay or do you leave?
AW: Earlier you mentioned lighting playing an important role in the art you create. What role does this element play in Clothesline?
DS: I wanted to capture the passage of time during an evening, and create a 4 a.m. vibe. I focused on drawing the viewer into the lamppost as the source of light and showing how the lighting persists on the pavement below.
It is about finding the balance between where you want to place lighting and the tonality of colors. This piece has a reddish hue to represent that early morning feel. Lighting has always been important to me because I want the viewer to feel immersed. For example, poor lighting in films can take you out of the experience. I want people to feel like they exist in this tangible world.
AW: What movies have inspired the way you create?
DS: Nightcrawler and Fight Club are some great examples. The different tonalities of lighting that were used in these films are superb. I love it when movies play around with lighting and make it a character in and of itself. The lighting plays a role in setting the mood of the scene.
Clothesline, 2024
AW: In what ways does Pre-Flight complement the collection's theme of everyday scenes, while expanding its scope to include the thought of faraway places?
DS: The intent behind this work was to convey that feeling of wanting to escape.
I feel like many of us wanted to run away when we were kids. We had moments when life felt bad, moments in childhood where we just wanted to disappear on a jet plane to get away from it all.
Having that sense of control is important when it comes to Pre-Flight because you are given options. You can leave, and that is the great thing about being a child. You have those moments of thinking, "I should just run away, get on a plane, or hop on a train." It makes you realize that the world is a lot bigger than that cookie-cutter, suburban, small-town vibe.
Growing up, I only flew once when I was 12 years old, and I did not fly again until last year because I never had the money to do so. I see travel as a luxury. I have always wanted to travel the world. I feel like I missed out on a lot in my life by growing up in the town and situation that I did. We never went on vacation because we could not afford it. I wanted to represent that there is always time to travel.
Pre-Flight, 2024
AW: You recently posted “The moments I miss are all gone” accompanied by the last work of this collection Early Dawn. What makes this work personal to you?
DS: Early Dawn is meant to represent me and my father going fishing early in the morning. I cannot relive those moments or that father-son relationship at this moment in time. I wanted to hold on to this fond memory by putting it out into the world. Memories change as you grow older, and you forget things. Being able to put that out into the world as a visual representation, as a piece of artwork, gives it weight. I can always go back to the artwork, look at it, enjoy it, and recognize the fond memories.
That's what I wanted to achieve with this collection. Everything I do builds upon my past experiences and memories. I want to share those with people. We all have times in our lives when we hang out and share our fond memories and good times. I want to do that with my artwork. That is why I dig so deep into nostalgia because, to me, nostalgia represents the rawness of our memories.
The past is unchanging, like a stone in a river of time. Being able to pick up those stones and build islands of memories is very important.
Those memories exist, but I cannot relive them. I have to build these islands and share these thoughts, memories, and feelings with others; otherwise, they get eroded by time.
AW: You have talked about the past and those memories that you cannot relive. However, the title of this series seems to represent new beginnings and new days. How does this work reflect your thoughts on the future?
DS: I am a pessimist rooted in realistic expectations and goals. For me, nostalgia represents happiness; a raw feeling. It brings my negative side down to earth. Looking at my artwork makes me happy and gives me hope and optimism. Even in my pessimistic state, I can create artwork that lifts me and makes me hopeful for the future.
It is that counterbalance of feeling.
When looking at nostalgia, there is always a dark side and a light side. I tend to remember the good memories over the bad ones, but there is a little bit of darkness in nostalgia as well. That is meant to be represented by the passage of night in this series.
Idyllic Street starts with a happy memory and the emotions and feelings get darker with subsequent works. Early Dawn is meant to represent that hopefulness.
I look at it as patches of time. As a child, I was happy, with fond memories of running around the neighborhood, hanging out with friends, and going to the mall. As I grew older, I started to realize that the world is not all happiness. There is a lot of sadness and misery. I started looking at the news, and all I saw was bad news, making me lose that optimistic nature I had as a kid. As time went by, I started to realize that there is still hope in the world. I became less jaded over time because I matured.
I balance the dark side of the world with a little bit of hopefulness and try to pursue the things I love. This series was meant to represent that on an emotional level. It was meant to represent that hopefulness, realizing that the world is not all it is cracked up to be, and then, as you get older, you make your happiness. You pursue the things you love and realize that even though the world might not be perfect, there are still moments in life where you can be happy.
Early Dawn, 2024
AW: You collaborated with MATR Labs to create oil paintings for this collection using robotic technology. What inspired you to explore the physical dimension of your artwork?
DS: The most impactful experience I have had when viewing artwork was going to the MoMA and seeing Monet's work in person. When I went into the room and saw his giant oil painting on the wall, it made me feel immersed.
I wanted to give collectors the possibility to have control over where to display the artwork in their homes, have the ability to stand in front of it, look at it, and contemplate it.
The physicality of an artwork adds an extra element of emotion, which is why I decided to partner with Matr Labs.
AW: What do you hope people will feel when they can experience your artwork in a physical format?
DS: I hope that when people encounter my artwork, they experience a sense of immersion and contemplation. I want viewers to slow down and contemplate life from a new perspective. In today's fast-paced world, art offers a moment to pause and reflect. I hope people take the time to look deeply at this series of works allowing their own emotions to surface.
I avoid guiding viewers towards specific emotions with my art. Instead, I am interested in how each person interprets and feels about the piece. Art is subjective, and everyone brings their unique perspective and emotions to what they see. Ultimately, I want my art to provoke contemplation and allow people to connect with their own emotions when they engage with it.
DeltaSauce is an American artist based in Dallas, Texas, who has been creating art since 2005. Inspired by a childhood spent woodworking with his father, DeltaSauce considers himself a collage artist, able to transform elements into something new. He enjoys exploring unconventional ideas and the freedom to explore diverse creative directions.
Using AI, DeltaSauce creates pieces that evoke nostalgia, aiming to immerse viewers into the works. He is debuting his first physical works with Tribul, featuring a series that chronicles events spanning one night. These artworks invite viewers to pause, contemplate, and connect with their own experiences.
Alexia Wright is the Head of Social Media and Marketing at Tribul, combining her passion for art with her expertise in content creation, community management, and stakeholder relations. Alexia holds a Master of Arts degree and has extensive leadership experience. She enjoys keeping her pulse on the latest art news and trends in web3.