A Conversation With Walker Babington: Severna Park Native Creates Art Through A Blowtorch

Article And Photos By Brianne Leith

“Unorthodox is a good way to describe my whole life,” Walker Babington laughed heartily. “I do art and live art. It’s just as much about the artist as it is about the art…being wacky and doing crazy things. The more preposterous my life is the better my art sells and the more people are interested.”

Babington graduated from Severna Park High School in 2003. He went on to travel around the world and has now returned to grace Severna Park with his unique art and personality. “I’m all about the spectacle. My artwork, doing stunts, being me — I’m just plain good at spectacle.”

Employing a unique medium, Babington blowtorches portraits of women into pieces of old wood, doors, and rusted metal. He calls this fire-centric art “pyrography” or “torchtraiture.” Babington’s art is a paradox — insatiably modern, traditionally classic, and ingeniously futuristic.

“I call it post-apocalyptic art. After the apocalypse everything will be left in ruin,” he said. “All we will have is scraps. But we will, of course, need to decorate.” He smiled largely and twisted his handlebar moustache. “It actually took me years to say ‘I’m an artist.’ I just don’t like the stigma which comes with being an artist.”

Babington fell into this unique form of destructive creativity unintentionally. Originally a photographer, he branched out creatively and stumbled onto fire.

“My art keeps me out of trouble,” he explained. “I have a lot of creative energy. If I am not using said energy creatively it becomes mischievous energy. I think I was arrested about once a year until I started doing this, including my senior year of high school when I streaked across the field at a Severna Park lacrosse game. It was my last big hurrah. I was not allowed to attend prom or walk across the stage at graduation.”

In response to why he creates art, Babington asked, “All day in a garage, blowtorch, gas mask — what would it do for you?”

With his fire obsession and zest for an unusual life, Babington graduated from The International Stunt School in 2011. He believes, beside his drive, his gymnastic and wrestling training in Severna Park prepared him for the intricacies of body control in stunt school.

“Being lit on fire has been a dream of mine since I was 16 years old,” he said. “I think some great performance art will come out of my art and stunts.”

Babington has already performed as a confederate soldier in battle for a movie, and plans to start signing his artwork with his hand on fire.

“I am looking forward to finding new ways to make my living around fire. Right now I'm a mess of plans and possibilities.”

Presently, Babington is doing live work at Metropolitan in Annapolis once a month, and will have some live pieces in Baltimore in the future. Those interested in experiencing Babington’s work can find him on Facebook or contact him at walkerbabington@gmail.com.