Meet Clay Hardwick: The Creative Behind ECHOMECH

Clay Hardwick, the artist behind ECHOMECH, shares his thoughts on inspiration and upcoming projects.

Clay Hardwick is a diverse artist largely known for his creative identity, ECHOMECH. The name originated from the early street scene he was a part of in Jackson, Mississippi.

“ECHOMECH consists of two opposing concepts,” Clay said, “ECHO representing organic flow, MECH representing man-made structures.”

While Clay enjoys creating art through various mediums, such as printmaking, graffiti, and sculpture, he spends most of his time painting with acrylics and then supplementing his paintings with video production.

In essence, Clay synthesizes his surrounding natural landscapes with his own human design. One way he accomplishes this is by painting outside while surrounded by the Appalachian Mountains and Chattanooga vistas. These “plein-air” paintings make up his latest 2021 Spring series.

“What I paint directly reflects where I exist in that moment,” Clay said.

This approach has followed Clay in every environment he has lived in, from “the ocean waves of the Mississippi gulf coast” to the “mountains and rock formations throughout Tennessee and lower Appalachia.”

Because of COVID-19, Clay hasn’t been able to participate in art shows and markets, though he looks forward to returning as the summer begins. Instead, he has released his 2021 Spring series online. The series is publicly available through Instagram and for purchase on the ECHOMECH square site.

“I look forward to participating in art shows and markets again, beginning summer 2021,” Chris said.

Follow Chris on Instagram and make sure to visit the ECHOMECH website!