Student Focus – Michelle Swinehart
Posted: March 15, 2011 | Author: lorna | Filed under: Interviews | Tags: art, interview, MFA, Michelle Swinehart, Portland State University, social practice, student | Comments Off
Press Record; Walk Away, Listen to at a Later Date.
As a child Michelle Swinehart would take a Fisher Price tape recorder, press play, then leave the room while family members would unknowingly have their conversations recorded. Although, at the time (as you can imagine), this caused some family feuding, the seed for her practice as a documentary artist was sewn.
Swinehart is currently a MFA candidate in Social Practice at Portland State University. She has a background in documentary work through New York non-profit StoryCorps and film work through studies at Ohio University. Swinehart draws from many literary sources and real world experiences to find meaning and focus for her current social practice project Ridgefield Residents.
Swinehart’s art is undeniably influenced by time spent working for the non-profit, StoryCorps (from 2006-2008). StoryCorps is one of the largest oral history projects of its kind. It is a digital archive of more than 30,000 personal stories from the lives of Americans. While at StoryCorps Swinehart helped conduct and edit sound interviews in which pairs of people would respond to a set list of questions with sometimes funny, other times painfully sad elements from their life histories. Deciding to take these skills in the direction of art making, Swinehart has continued the practice of cataloguing human experience through shared personal stories. The heart of Swinehart’s art practice lies in listening. The body of her work is archiving and preserving life stories as a collection of cultural heritage for posterity and education.
Interviewee, Ailsa Crawford, in front of her home in Ridgefield. Her podcast interview (below) is by Michelle Swinehart.
Swinehart lives on a section of eleven acres of beautiful partly wooded land that her parents own in Ridgefield, Washington. Ridgefield (population 4,409 from the 2009 census) is like many American landscapes, part forest and farmland, part housing developments each uncomfortably vying for rites to exist. She moved there after a discussion she and her husband, Danny Percich (a professional farmer) had with her parents about wanting to start a small farm of their own. A year later she was almost settled about half an acre down a dirt driveway from her parents’ house in a mobile home she and her husband bought on Craig’s List for $3,500. And, the current site of their mobile home is the exact spot that her parents’ mobile home was years ago when their house was under construction; it’s the same spot Swinehart was born.
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Swinehart's mobile home, in progress.
Ridgefield Residents will be presented in the form of images and recordings on Swinehart’s Website, RidgefieldResidents.virb.com, for all to access as well as in a diorama format, which will be exhibited in the town library in Ridgefield, Washington along with Portland State University in the summer of 2011.
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Above is the podcast interview I conducted with Michelle Swinehart in her mobile home in Ridgefield on February, 21st. I had never been to Ridgefield before. It’s about a forty minute drive North of Portland. It was nice to get out of the city for a few hours. Although Ridgefield is still a confusing mix of developments and rural land, when you get on the windy side roads and come across pastures with goats, cows and gardens the environment feels more unified. On Michelle’s parents’ land you’ll find a small collection of chickens, and if you listen carefully you can hear owls up in the tall pine trees. During our walk from her parent’s house to her (in progress) mobile home, Swinehart even told me about her experiences sharing the land with a family of small foxes. Ridgefield seems like the perfect location to be making art and, simultaneously, reflecting on the process.
(All photos courtesy of Michelle Swinehart.)
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Chris Haberman (Artist/Curator)
Posted: August 2, 2010 | Author: lorna | Filed under: Interviews | Tags: Chris Haberman, curator, interview, murals, oregon, portland, urban artist | Comments OffNative Portlander Chris Haberman is a painter, curator, and community arts advocate. Haberman is a storyteller, melding myths and fables with real life grit in a flurry of marks and colors. His studio is situated in a large warehouse space transformed into co-operative studios in the Troy Laundry Building in SE Portland. He is one of the most zealous artists I’ve come across in the Portland art scene. If you live in or have even just visited Portland, chances are you’ve come across Haberman’s art in mural form and in exhibitions. If you haven’t yet, you will. In thinking about Haberman, the R&B musician James Brown comes to mind, “the hardest working man in show business.”
Amidst a whirlwind of art making, Chris Haberman contemplates his next move.
Lorna Nakell: I understand that you left the corporate world to become an artist. What was your career before, and what prompted you to choose the path of an artist?
Chris Haberman: Yep, I needed a job pretty badly, so I took an office job for an insurance company. I told myself, “Well, Kafka worked in insurance and he was a writer, so I can do it too.” It was great for awhile, but then I started selling a lot of art. I decided it was time to cut the corporate cord and do what I really loved.
LN: As a painter you have a distinctly outsider art style. I’ve heard you referred to as an “urban artist,” “ghetto realist” and “urban realist.” Do you mind having such labels? How would you describe your art?
CH: I like labels, they help define things and give focus. Really, every label has some truth to it or a lot of great hype—I like hype too, it helps create a mystique. I define myself as a painter that works from an urban aesthetic. My work is neither realistic nor classically artistic; it is more like cartoons with adult-themed word bubbles. I can draw realistically, its just too much work. I prefer to work with what comes out naturally. Which in my case, is the talent of a 10 year old with a 30 year old’s sense of humor.
LN: Possibly the most prolific artist of his time, Picasso created approximately 50,000 works of art before his death in 1973. You are a prolific artist in your own rite. How many works would you say you have created since becoming a painter? Are there benefits to being prolific?
CH: I have created over 7,000 works in less than 9 years, so I am definitely on the Picasso path. He died the year I was born by the way, so I hold Picasso very close to my heart. My favorite Picasso statement is, “Paint
"French Or Homeless," acrylic and ink on board, 2010.
like a child.” I hold that very dear and never forget it. There is a whole world of subjects, people, landscapes, notions, etc., to pull from, and as an artist, it is your job to digest and redistribute these as your own.
LN: You are an unabashed self-promoter. You leverage social media outlets as well as any marketing guru (Chris currently has almost 4k fans on his Facebook page.). Do you think that’s one of the keys to your success?
CH: Sure, self-promotion is the key to success these days. I do not have an agent or anyone to do this, so I do it myself. I also love people and many of those Facebook friends are really my friends. Mark Twain became famous because he was a relentless self-promoter, self-publisher and self-critic. I follow that school of thought but with a twist: I want to help others as well, and our community.
LN: Do you find that your master’s degree in literature plays a role in your painting process?
CH: I think everything I have digested as an intellectual and creature of study has helped my painting. My studies in literature are very important aspect to my work in the form of storytelling and development of concept. I do not sell pretty pictures, I tell stories in my paintings.
LN: You are involved in many local community projects like street fairs, fundraisers and Caldera projects. What is the importance of this type of artistic outreach in relation to your work or art career?
CH: I am a community person; I enjoy people and helping to organize things at the grass roots level. I never want to be “too” big to be part of a street fair, or to work with kids. Those activities were the basis of my start in
"Restless Nights," acrylic and ink on record cover, 2010.
the art world and I never want to let go of them. A few months ago I donated 7 paintings to different causes. Its good for the cause and its good for me (cross marketing really, if you look at it). I have spread my name out in as many circles as possible, and charity is just another circle, it just happens to have a worthwhile end.
LN: Are you represented by any galleries? If not, what is your experience operating outside the gallery arena in the current financial climate?
CH: I have always operated outside that arena. My best sales are in bars and restaurants (The true Portland gallery), which seems to serve many Portlanders. People know me; know I just want to make art and sell it—to do so I have to fit the market.
LN: In addition to creating paintings for exhibition and sale you do curatorial work in local cafes and bars, and create murals independently as well as collaboratively. What have been some of your favorite art experiences over the years?
CH: I have been curating as long as I have been painting, almost. I curate bars/cafes because that is where I got my start and I’ve remained friends with the owners that first gave me a shot. I am just trying to help new artists and give them some skills to help them figure it all out.
I love painting murals and they are always a challenge. My first experience with Jen Mercede (Francis Restaurant mural, Alberta) was over 300 hours on one wall, on scaffolding, in the rain; it was a definite learning curve. Currently, I am enjoying working closely with Jason Brown, curator of the Goodfoot and Po’ Boy Art Gallery. I respect him very much, as a painter, curator, builder and friend, and I think we make a great team. The older I get, the less I want to tackle things on my own. It takes a village….
LN: What are your upcoming projects?
CH: Jason [Brown] and I are working on a mural project right now, and we just finished working together to open the Po’ Boy Art Gallery in his frame shop. We are gearing up for the Big 100 show (100 artists, 1500 works) at the Goodfoot for December.
I am curating a show for Portland Center for the Performing Arts for September, to open with TBA Festival, entitled “The New Brow of Portland.”
On a personal art level, I am working on a series of paintings for a book by K.C. Cowan (Oregon Art Beat) entitled They Don’t Call Them Saints for Nothing. It’s a look at a selection of Catholic saints, where KC did the writing and I did the illustrations. [Haberman recently was an interview subject on Oregon Art Beat.]
I’m also working on a series due out next year called “Maiden Oregon” – where basically I paint one work for every song Iron Maiden (the British metal band) has written in the last 30 years (nearly 100 works) – pretty fun! I love being an artist.
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John Dempcy (Painter)
Posted: January 17, 2010 | Author: lorna | Filed under: Interviews | Tags: acrylic, interview, john dempcy, painting | Comments OffJohn Dempcy is a Seattle based artist whose work has been exhibited nationally and, most recently, internationally. His intensely colored paintings are process oriented with imagery influenced by his interest in the sciences. Dempcy is represented by several galleries including Augen Gallery in Portland, OR and Grover/Thurston Gallery in Seattle, WA.
John Dempcy in his studio.
LN: I notice that you received your BA from the University of Washington, but also received an Associate of Applied Arts from the Art Institute of Seattle. What were your areas of study at each institution?
JD: I was interested in pottery when I started at the University of Washington. I studied with Robert Sperry and was drawn to his textural, painterly surfaces. That got me experimenting with drawing, and then I discovered painting. After four years at the UW I wanted to get out into the world and travel, so I left with a general art degree. Later, I went back to school and studied graphic design. More for practical and financial reasons than for artistic direction. Even so, I developed my artistic skills, and afterwards, working in the field, I gained an understanding of how to run a business and deal with clients. That has come in very handy as a fine artist.
LN: Your paintings resemble scientific experiments related to the study of molds or infectious diseases – enticing, but potentially hazardous. The circular shaped, colorful, patterned ink splotches seem very process oriented. In these paintings are you exploring conceptual concerns similar to those of the color field painters of the ’50s and ’60s? Is there a deeper meaning behind the surface beauty or is the illusive content left up to the viewer akin to a Rorschach inkblot test?
JD: Early on I responded to the work of Mark Rothko, Morris Louis, Clyfford Still and other painters of that period. I liked the color and minimalism behind their work. I don’t share the conceptual concern that abstraction be an end in itself. As you mention, my work has a scientific bent to it. I reference microbiology and genetics and strive for a feeling or look that points to that. I feel a sense of wonder when I contemplate the biological systems in nature that form such complex structures of function and design. It’s beautiful on the surface, but powerful in potential. I want to bring a sense of that to my painting.
I’m also interested in the implications of genetic engineering, chemistry, and pharmacology that hold the promise of a better life, but at the same time, with our growing, but limited understanding of the mechanisms of nature, hold the potential for unfavorable consequences. Think, “Better Living Through Chemistry.” On the one hand, it has been a boon to humanity. On the other hand, it has introduced factors that threaten our health and existence. Going further, I see this all as the process of human development. Live and learn. Which brings me back to painting. It’s a process.
Defenders, acrylic on panel, 30"X30", 2009
LN: Tell me about the origins of this painting series. How have they developed over time?
JD: Years ago, I read a book on microbiology and became fascinated by the function and processes of cells. Looking at microscopic pictures of cells and bacteria, I saw a way to make paintings around it. I had been working with wax at that point, but I was not happy with the results. It was out of necessity that I had to simplify my painting process because I lost my studio space and started working in the kitchen. In retrospect, it was a fortunate development. I moved to acrylics on paper at that point, and soon found that by dripping paint I could make beautiful, round, organic forms that looked like they were from under a microscope. I chose to place them in a grid format referring to cell structures. Working on a clayboard panel, I have been able to achieve more vibrant colors and interesting effects as the paint spreads and flows.
Lately, I’ve been working on more complex arrangements based on genetics and the consequent building of cell structures to form organisms. The science is really secondary for me. I see a lot of possibilities with painting and art in understanding how this all works. I’m trying some new ideas and feel ready to embark on a new chapter of this particular direction.
LN: Are there any contemporary artists whose works inspire you or influence your own?
JD: In a former artistic period, working on semi-metaphysical pieces with flowers and birds and bees, I discovered Darren Waterston whose work captured the essence of these ideas I had been working with, but in a more elegant and inventive way. Waterston’s work revealed how clumsy my attempt at figuration was and I decided then to move back to pure abstraction. He has moved more to abstraction also, and his work continues to inspire and inform me. After I started working in my current vein, with drops of paint on a grid, I discovered the work of Jaq Chartier. I love her work and the simplicity of the idea that leads to this beautiful complexity. There are similarities to our work in form and concept, but we chart a different course. Klari Reis works along the same lines as I do. She takes forms that she sees under the microscope and creates fantastic microscapes that are a joy to look at.
Interchange, acrylic on panel, 16"X12", 2009
LN: What do you struggle with in your work?
JD: I have a very interesting process and it’s easy to be taken in and led astray by the cool effects and beautiful colors. If I don’t keep my awareness I tend to create pretty pictures that are vacuous in the end. Beauty goes deeper. Another challenge is working with the paint. An integral aspect to my process is allowing the paint to flow and mix. I base my work on nature, and letting the nature of the paint do its work is crucial. My role is to define the idea and composition, paint with some skill, then allow the nature of the paint to do its thing. Failure comes when I don’t trust the process.
LN: From Jan 7th-31st you’re having a solo exhibition in Sceaux, France at Galerie Pierrick Touchefeu. Can you tell me what that experience has been like? How is your art being received?
JD: This is my first show in Europe. I’ve learned a lot about shipping work through Customs. Have all your paper work in order! My wife is German so I travel in Europe, and I am comfortable dealing with the language and cultural differences. Fortunately, the gallery owner speaks some English and communication has not been a problem. The show seems to have been received well. I’m selling work, and a couple of French art bloggers have picked up on the show with positive reviews.
LN: What projects are on the horizon? When do you plan to show in Portland again?
JD: This year my goal is to make bigger paintings. Double the size. I started very small because I had to learn to control the paint, or, really, understand how to let it go. With a larger size and some new forms I will be showing at the Seattle Art Museum’s TASTE Restaurant in March. In May I will have a solo show in Portland at the Augen Gallery. Hope to see you there.
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