A Field Guide To Colorado's Live Artists: Timothy Hefty
Written by Michael Garfield Friday, 29 May 2009 23:38
This article is the first in a series of interviews with Colorado's growing population of live artists. An increasing presence in both local and global art scenes, "live art" takes many forms – but this somewhat ambiguous term typically refers to the public performances of graphic and visual artists whose media is ordinarily confined to studios. The process becomes an obvious, living part of the piece. Journey and destination take on new meanings.
The most common form of live art is live painting (although more tech-savvy digital illustration performers are cropping up as well). There are inherent restrictions to the live environment – the duration of a concert or festival being a major one – and doing art in front of (or in the midst of) a crowd is much more exposed and high-energy than quiet solitude. Live art often reflects this in expressive patterns, vivid colors, and the creative application of time-saving techniques like washes and stenciling. However, there are few true stylistic common denominators, and live art is fantastically diverse – largely due to the motley cast of characters attracted to working in a performance context.
In order to tour the variety of minds behind Colorado's live art "scene" (the existence of which is somewhat debatable), I've devised a series of standard questions for each artist. I'll go into greater depth with some of the more experienced performers, but everyone will start with eight basic questions that will illuminate the similarities and differences between the practitioners of this emerging art form...
(You can find my own, earlier accounts of live painting here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.)
This week, I've interviewed Timothy Hefty of Boulder, who has a weekly residency with Brik A Brak off Pearl Street and has also painted for local groups like Elephant Revival, The Motet, Pete Kartsounes, and Bass Brigade.
MG: What got you started painting at concerts? (And what keeps you painting at concerts?)
TH: The thing that got me started painting at shows was an invitation to paint with my friend's band at a small coffee shop in northern Michigan. It was nearly impossible for me to paint because I had such horrible stage fright and the blank canvas seemed to be mocking me...but a fist full of paint destroyed the void and the fear and my hands suddenly felt electrical, it was awesome. That electric feeling always comes back and I think that's why I'll keep painting.
MG: What are your media and methods?
TH: I start with a rough sketch done in marker. Then I fill in the larger areas with acrylics and a brush. After that's dried a little bit, I go through with globs of acrylics and my fingers. I swirl colors together and add shading here and there, then i have a pint and a smoke and wait for the larger globs of paint to dry. I come back and do outlining and highlighting with oil based paint markers, and also add details and pick out shapes from the background. At this point the piece is usually 95% done. I usually keep adding final touches until the music stops or I realize that one more spot of paint will kill the piece.
MG: What are you trying to "capture" in your paintings? For some people, it's the band; for others, it's more abstract. Some people don't even know what they're painting, or care if it has anything to do with the concert. Other people are very specific about their intentions and representations. Where do you fall in this?
TH: I usually try to capture the band, but not all of the time. Sometimes the music will just completely capture me and then the next thing I know, I'm painting trees and eye balls and hands and God only knows what else.
MG: In what ways have you grown as an artist since you started painting live?
TH: I would say that live painting has actually given me a style that I was always searching for. For years I would continuously bounce from ink to pencil to paint to clay and each media had a different flair and style. Live painting helped me center myself and find my style instead of just the style of whatever media I was working with.
MG: What have been some of the most amazing moments for you, in the live painting environment?
TH: The most amazing are hard for me to pin down. I think the first couple of times I did it were the most amazing, but also it's gotten better with each new show. Hearing so much feedback from a crowd at a show is pretty amazing. I just love the whole thing, all of it!
MG: What have been some unforeseen complications or challenges in live painting – both artistically and in terms of the business? How did (and do) you deal with them?
TH: Leaky markers for one, and room temperature was an unforeseen complication. One time it was too cold in the establishment and my paints wouldn't dry. I couldn't bust out the markers until it was almost too late and the bar was closing. Business wise, my lack of a website is the biggest complication for me but I totally saw that one coming. Networking is hard for me because of my lack of technological attributes.
MG: Do you consider live art to be a single coherent movement or emergent art form? If not, do you think it'll ever be?
TH: I've noticed more and more live painters emerging in the last ten years. I think it's becoming a movement, and I think that if we all start joining forces and doing some group shows and collaboration pieces then the movement will be solidified. I'm very excited to be a part of this whole thing.
MG: Where can people find your work?
TH: Right now people can find my work hanging at the Draft House on 13th Street in Boulder or on Facebook. Or in my living room.
