Fuse Gallery, behind Lit Lounge, has seen its share of musicians moonlighting as artists. Among others, the space has hosted artwork by the likes of Hank Williams III, Gibby Haynes of the Butthole Surfers, Nick Zinner and Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Conrad Keely of …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead.

Last night, David Yow held court at an opening reception that drew J.G. Thirlwell, the lead singer of industrial band Foetus, as well as other admirers of Mr. Yow’s bands, The Jesus Lizard and Scratch Acid. Mr. Yow, best known for vocals that alternate between mumbling and shrieking as well as onstage antics that at one point got him arrested for indecent exposure in Cincinnati, was polite and soft-spoken. He was dressed down (or perhaps up — he has been known to favor the shirtless look, after all) in a button-down shirt and spectacles.

When Erik Foss, the owner of Fuse Gallery, bought a painting titled “Go Figure,” depicting an erect penis, Mr. Yow texted his girlfriend, “I have tears in my eyes.” She responded, “I love you. Stop crying.”

The Local sat down with Mr. Yow to talk about his new calling.

You majored in art at Southwest Texas State University before dropping out to start your music career. Does formal training help in the case of art, or would you endorse the DIY method associated with punk rock?

It helped me a lot, largely because of one of the professors there, Mark Todd. I met him in 1978 and we’re still friends. He did a couple of Scratch Acid and Jesus Lizard record covers. He’s probably the biggest single influence on my stuff. I really benefited from going to school, but I certainly don’t think its necessary. You can’t learn talent.

 

With a painting like “Wetting The Bed From A Couple Yards Away,” is that what you set out to depict, or did it just happen?

That one was a very preconceived notion. I knew I wanted to have a mattress and an arc of pee. I have a really juvenile sense of humor, I love stupid dirty jokes and I was a bed-wetter for a long time.

 

What about other things you have a reputation for, like performing drunk? Do substances help your creative process?

I’ve maybe had a beer or two when I was painting, but mostly just coffee and water. Not in the same glass, because there’s no point in diluting the coffee.

 

Do you listen to music while you paint?

I never listen to music. I listen to music when I’m driving.

 

How long do these paintings take to make?

Sometimes they almost explode — they just sort of happen in, honest to God, a day or two. And some of them — it’s like wrestling somebody on the same team or something.

 

Is it similar to the song writing process?

It’s probably very similar — some of them come out real fast and some of them take forever.

 

As far as the art world is concerned, do you get the sense that, as with music, there are the indie labels and the major labels? Are you aiming for the majors?

There probably is — so far, I’m unaware of it, and I’m certainly not aiming at anything. I would love it if I could pay rent by doing this. I don’t really see that happening. I’ve had a few pieces in Shepard Fairey’s gallery, which to me seemed like kind of a big deal.

 

And Gavin Rossdale and Gwen Stefani own one of your pieces.

I’ve been a friend of Gavin for years, so that was a wedding gift. At the time when they were going to get married, my wife and I were going, “What do you give millionaires for a wedding present?” and she suggested a painting. There’s a guy who I hope is going to be here tonight, he and his wife are both brain surgeons. He called me a couple weeks ago and I had had a few drinks and said, “Look, you’re a brain surgeon, your wife is a brain surgeon, you s— money, why don’t you just buy everything I’ve done and you can keep it in a warehouse and rotate it whenever you want?”

Are you planning to do any more shows with The Jesus Lizard?

I really doubt it. I’ve learned to quit saying never, because it has bit me in the a– a few times. We did a few shows a couple years ago, I don’t think we’ll do anything else.

 

So you see your art career replacing music as you get older?

Oh yeah, I’m not doing music at all.

 

But aren’t you doing some shows with Scratch Acid?

Yeah, but we’re not writing anything. We’re not going to do an extended stay or anything like that. We’ll practice for a few days and do a month of touring and that’ll be that.