I’d seen Chris Haberman’s work around town, but it wasn’t until I went to his open studio a few weeks ago that I started to see how Haberman’s work often records specific people instead of figurative generalities. Immediately, I wanted to be an inspiration for his process, to see what he would make of me in paint. And I happen to think that’s the mark of good portraiture: when you can’t quite know what the artist will make of you but you’re pretty sure it will be fascinating and you definitely want in.
Chris Haberman’s Basquiat 2005
Curious to learn more about another Portland portrait artist, I interviewed Haberman. He was nice enough to answer some questions for me.
Do you consider you work portraiture? Why or why not?
I consider many of the faces that I make to be indexed images of people I’ve met, but I love painting people in general in my own style. I have painted many personal portraits as commissions, etc., but I have focused on portraits as an iconic form of pop art. I wouldn’t say they always look perfect, but the idea is present, which to me, is the most important.
Do you consider yourself a portrait artist? Why or why not?
Yes. If you want the portrait to have big eyes, wine bottles and a big curvy from with lots of words surrounding the figure, then I am a portrait artist. I just love to paint faces in my work, and there is nothing better than creating art straight from real life.
How does your commission work differ from your non-commission work?
I work often on exact portraiture, where I work from dozens of pictures and lists of information which all needs to be in the work. I just let the painting portrait take its own life. I never really try to get someone down perfectly, just a likeness. I can’t draw hands at all, so I usually leave those out. I used to put in drills and machine hands, but now I simply have them holding something, or I don’t address it at all. My non-commission portraits and work in general is based upon subject and individual works. Many times the stream of consciousness by which I work creates many faces and “personalities” in my work, which I don’t consider portraiture, but in a way it is, a reflection of my hometown of Portland, its people, styles and fashion. I love historic old west photos where people pose in front of bars. Is that a portrait? If so, thats what I’m trying to achieve.
Chris Haberman’s Sinatra 2008
Describe your process. (Do you work from photos? Memory? Live models?)
I work from photos and memory and from the painting itself. If I plan out a painting of someone specific, I may use a photo for reference, but it doesn’t necessarily turn out that way. Memory paintings for me work for general icons (e.g. - Superman) which are recognizable portraiture, and not necessary based upon exact likeness. Generally though I first start paintings as abstracts and faces arise from the relations of colors and shapes. Much of the time I have no idea what the painting may be until I have fully developed a crowd of faces, based entirely on the direction that the painting itself is telling me. I consider this “us” - the painting and I, working together.
What styles do you like to work in?
I can paint realistically, but it takes a lot of time. Mostly I like to work in a cartoonish fashion, like drawing as a child. I feel that this style I’ve developed is original and it expresses my rawest inpiration of the onset of the work. Basically, my style erupts from erratic drawing, not thinking about an end while I’m working and trying to achieve a loose and free form of expression. I have said before, I work from chaos to order, and from perfect mistakes to plausible corrections.
Where do the words in your work come from?
The words come from many places. If I am working on a specific work or a project I am unfamiliar with, I do research and work from many notes. I love Wikipedia, and I’m a regular donator. If I am working straight from my head (which is 80% of work) I use this overfilled lexicon brain of mine, filled with pop culture, literature, trivial pursuit and basically everything I have ingested in the last 30 years. I am a big fan of James Joyce, who loved word puzzles and juxtaposition relations between objects. That is my obsession, the connectiveness of things. I’m pretty attention deficient a lot these days, but for some reason I have a good memory of events and a selective feeling for precise (but sometimes irrevelent) details. I think all of life experience helps us to create art in the moment and helps me create the narration in my work. I enjoy the relationship both of the words to the image, and the words to themselves, sometimes personal, sometimes vulguar, and many times, very amusing.
To see more of Haberman’s work and to learn more about it, visit chrishaberman.com.