Jed Voltz is a friend of a friend. A friend of The Hundreds collaborator, Travis Millard, as a matter of fact. He is also an incredibly talented artist in his own right, one who practices the lost craft of making things with his own two hands, including a tiny bong for Jane’s Addiction. Most recently, Jed propped and costumed the Wavves video for “Demon To Lean On,” in which warpaint-faced and armor-clad kids duel it out in a junkyard and devour meat straight off the bone like lawless lost boys. We spotted Jed at THIS gallery, repping The Hundreds and towering over his buddy Travis, and thought it would be probably be fun to pay this professional-toy-builder a studiovisit, as we have an admiration for people who do things that don’t exclusively exist on the Internet. Read on to find out if the inside of his mind is as wild as his workspace. (Also notice The Hundreds by Travis Millard Crewneck Fleece and Hoyas in Khaki.)
How do you know Travis Millard?
Travis’ landlord Ben is a production designer that I used to do doll commercials with. He stores his tools underneath Travis’ house.
What do you do for money?
I build and design props for tv shows, movies, and television. I dress and decorate sets for the same. I also do both personal and freelance illustration, painting, and sculpture.
What’s the most random prop you’ve ever fabricated?
Hmmm. I made a tiny bong for a Jane’s Addiction album cover. Although maybe the Animatronic cake eating boys I did forfear.net? Nazi Zombies for the Beastie Boys? It’s always something weird.
Tell me a fun/crazy/disastrous thing that happened on set with Wavves?
I found the script for the pilot to the 90’s version of Land of the Lost. It was in the hold of a smashed up old motorboat I decided to crawl through.
Where do you find the materials you work with?
Everywhere. I’m a hoarder. Almost every Saturday you’ll find me scouring estate sales for stuff I can use. It’s a little sad sometimes, but old people leave the coolest stuff behind.
Besides The Hundreds, what would be your dream collaboration?
My dream collaboration? If i could go back in time and spend even a day with Jim Henson, I’d die a happy man.
What’s the one thing you would wait in an around-the-corner line for?
A perfect memory. Or wings.
Describe to me your relationship with Instagram?
Egocentric and self-satisfying. Probably the same thing but they sound nice together.
words by Jane Helpern