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Wildly Austin book entryBlue Genie Artists
One of Blue Genie’s earliest clients proclaimed owners Rory Skagen, Dana Younger, and Kevin Collins "gods of 3-D art." That might be a little over the top, but it’s an example of the kind of adulation Blue Genie generates. We might go as far as to call them the lords of Austin’s 3-D art, because more than any other artists, their imaginative 3-D sculptures have helped give SOCO its unique vibe. The guitar toting "Big Girl" atop Fran’s Hamburgers, the wacky yet stylish zebra in Carmen Miranda garb above Lucy’s in Disguise, Antigua’s Mayan temple, and the long lashed dragon at Dragon Snaps were all created by Blue Genie artists. Several other works are scattered around town, ranging from murals to bas-reliefs. Blue Genie was formed in 1999 and takes its name from Rory’s first successful foam sculpture, which lords over the neighborhood from the roof of the company’s East Austin studio. The guys say they’ve flourished, in part, because of the symbiotic relationship between artists and Austin. After all, where would you find a strip like South Congress where people are willing to display the kind of whimsical sculptures Blue Genie creates? Says Dana Younger, "There’s a quality to what we produce that’s specifically Austin."
 
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Reprinted with kind permission from the Wildly Austin book.
The text was written by Vikki Loving and features photographs by Gregg Cestaro.
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