Interview with David Hollenbach

1)First of all,..can you present yourself..?
1)Wow, I'm not sure what that means...do I have to wear a tie? I'm kidding. I'm really not the sharpest knife in the drawer which has lead to poor self esteem.

2)Do you think of yourself as an artist,or what?
2)Most of the time I am an illustrator but there is the rare occasion that I can consider myself artist.

3)What is creativity?
3)I guess creativity is basically the having the power to create something. Now judging how good the creativity is depends on a few things. How new or fresh the creation is whether in concept or execution. It’s kind of the idea of something sparking long dormant neurons in the brain. When you do that you are really being creative.

4)Does your environment influence your art,either in style/format or interference?
4)It does really. New York is a little frenetic and almost like a collage of different people put together in one city and most of the time they make it work. That is kind of what I try to pull off in my pictures. I try to make separate and different pieces fit together to communicate what may be an idea or feeling that itself is separate from any of its pieces.

5)What are some of your influences and inspirations?
5)Well there are artists that are too many to even mention. I mean from Dave McKean to Ben Shahn to Francis Bacon to NC Wyeth and tons more. The music of Tom Waits and even half torn off advertisement posters can really hit me. Just sitting back and watching humanity go about it's business can be pretty influential.

6)What's your favourite mediums(pen,charcoal,paint,canvas,etc.)to work in/on?
6)It really depends on the day and sometimes it can be all of them in the same picture. Generally I use collage pieces of printed material glued with matte medium and I work on top of it with acrylics, charcoal, and pastels.

7)Who are some of your favourite painters/artists?
7)Well like I said in another question I like Dave McKean, Ben Shahn, Francis Bacon, NC Wyeth, and there are many more from famous artists to ones where I just stumbled into bar and they had a cool show of an unknown artist on the wall.

8)How long does it normally take you to complete a piece of your artwork?
8)It really varies. It can be one hour to a few days depending on how long it takes me to make it work.

9)What else are you interested in besides visual arts?
9)If you are asking what else I’m good at I’d have to say not much. I listen to music but I can’t play a note. I read but I can barely write my name. I guess visual arts is the only shot I have at doing anything important.

10)Got any new projects planned?
10)A couple years ago I did an eight page story and put it into a collected comic with a few friends and I really got the itch to do something else. I’ve put down thumbnails and wrote out another longer story and just need to get off my ass to start the finishes.

11)How would you describe your art to someone who could not see it?
11)Separate pieces of pictures from you paper recycling glued down together and painted on so they work as a whole different image. It’s showing what you’ve may have already seen in a different context to suit my purpose.

12)What other talent would most like to have?
12)As I stumble through the questions I wish I could be a “smooth talker” and to be able to make it look like I really know what I’m talking about. My foot is perpetually in my mouth.

13)What are your most beloved items?
13)I wear a watch I’ve had since high school whose band is a band from the watch I got for 6th grade graduation. It’s dorky but really hold on to things. Plus I have a pork pie hat that I’m pretty fond of.

14)Favourite books?
14)Dave McKean’s graphic novel “Cages” is pretty impressive. I read a lot of Paul Auster’s work if your talking about books without pictures.

15)Do you remember the first draw you made?
15)The first one I remember was in second grade. We had to draw a genie. Mine had sharp teeth, grenades, and claws. I think the teacher sent me to the school counselor. I was a well behaved kid but I was in the counselor’s office a lot.

16)What kind of music do you like and do you listen.And is the music important for your art.?
16)I listen to everything. Music is always the background noise while I’m working and I’m sure it works it’s way in there some how. I try to pick music that matches the aesthetic I’m going for as I’m working.

17)Any advice do you have for artists?
17)I’m the last person to be giving any artist advice. I barely get through the day myself and really don’t feel like I know what I’m doing.

18)Your contacts.E-mail..Links.
18) hdivad@verizon.net
http://davidhollenbach.com
http://sturgesreps.com/portfolio/portfolio.asp?portfolio=dhollenbach
http://altpick.com/members.php?id=10590