The Steve Gilbert Gallery
1418 Broadway
Seattle WA
(206) 734-7330
Opening Thursday December 13, 2018
Reception 5-9PM during the Capitol Hill Art Walk
Closing reception Sunday January 06 3-6PM
With Intimacy Issues Katlyn Hubner brings another of her series of solo exhibitions of painting mixed media, and performance to the Seattle area. Like her previous two exhibits, Sex Untold (January 2018)and Plastic (March 2018), Intimacy Issues is an unblinking look at the complexities of human gender identity and the often messy dynamics of relationships of all kinds.
With colors that are often almost lurid, the result of the use of colored light gels on her models, Hubner creates raw images with a to-the-gut emotional impact. Some of her works depict only arms and hands, reaching out, grasping, in a seemingly desperate attempt to connect. Her paintings suggest an influence of Lucien Freud, Francis Bacon, Alice Neel and Egon Scheile, yet her vision and execution are clearly her own, unique.
To emphasize the tension between aloneness and intimacy, the entrance to the gallery will be configured to give a different pathway to each person who enters. Hubner wants to create the feeling of being an isolated individual who is transported into a realm where she/he/they is free to interact with others or to remain alone. The paintings serve to emphasize the choices people make when faced with the potential for intimate connection.
Interview with Katlyn Hubner
Q: Tell us a little about your process and what medium you prefer.
A: My paintings are a bit of a two step process when it comes to the mediums. My under paintings consist of acrylic and house paint. I use those to get the dimensions for the reference I have. Once I have mapped out all my shadows and where the lighting changes I begin to use my oils. From which I paint from the darkest of tones to the highlights.
Q: Do you have any brands or products that you like best, and if so why?
A: The brand of oil I use the most is Winsor Newton Water Soluble oils. And Holbein (which is also water soluble) for certain tones I desire. Most of my training was from being very young and I cant stop using these kinds of oils. I love the dry time and mixing certain mediums and mineral solvents with them to acquire different consistencies and glazes with the products. Also my studio doesn’t have any windows or ventilation so hopefully it’ll extend my lifespan using these particular oils!
Q: At what age did you realize you were an artist or that you wanted to make a career of art?
A: Would have to say I wanted to take art as my occupation in high school. Always dabbled and loved creating from a very early age. However once I learned about how to play and use the oil paint and how to see color. Or when I finally began to finish paintings. It was a very difficult hurdle for me to finish paintings growing up from all the self doubt of thinking the colors would come together.
Q: From where do you draw your inspiration?
A: I draw most of my inspiration from relationships and the absolutely hardcore emotions I feel every day from situations. If there’s a way I can translate an emotion or a moment that I have experienced to someone else without a language and only using pigment I feel like my job is done.
Q: Do you feel that an artist has any responsibility to influence society, and if so in what way? Secondly do you find that your images carry a message?
A: ABSOLUTELY! I read in a book once called Art Can Help this quote “It is the duty of the artist to translate the world so that it may be more digestible for others”. This quote has become a bit of my motto. There’s also a hell of a lot of ways to read in to the different importances and philosophies an artist has to the community. Creativity is like a form of science and so important to the culture and a time capsule of what is around us and what to look for.
A: The greatest form of validation I could ever experience with making something is to have any sort of an emotional reaction from anyone. It doesn’t even have to be remotely close to what I was hoping for a reaction since its all in someone else eyes of experience. That the best gift or compensation I could ever enjoy from an opening. Frankly you never will know how the art will hit someone between people shaking with tears in the eyes, hysterically laughing, or telling me that they have changed their lives and quit their occupations due to looking at my work.
Q: Did you receive training from an art school or Art Atelier, or are you self taught?
A: My only training was high school and self taught since then.
Q: Was your family supportive of your art?
A: I would say yes, my late uncle Joe Boudreau who has always been a major influence on me growing as an artist with guiding me to the best of his abilities. Who was an amazing painter himself based out of Chicago.
Q: Is there anyone in the art world today, or in history who has influenced your style?
A: There are definitely many painters I look up to and am humbled by their talents. Out of contemporary creatives that are alive right now I would have to say I look up to Jen Mann, Ivan Alifan, and Marilyn Minter.
Q: If you could meet anyone from history, who would it be an why?
A: Obviously Jesus Christ, one of the most talked about gentlemen I’ve heard of. Also I would want to talk to witches from some of the salem trials to see what their experiences were like from being misunderstood from bureaucratic bigotry. I love finding any opportunity to get to know someone new. Its my duty to attempt to understand as many people as possible.
Q: What kind of environment do you need when you are painting, for example do you like music, if so what sort, tell us what your ideal creative space would be.
A: An OCD hurricane would be perfect. I like having my pallet set up the same way each time with the colors. I have all my paint tubes in rainbow order or by medium as well on shelves. When I get lost in my music like St. Vincent, the Cure, and David Bowie (on a major 1980’s kick right now) I want to be able to not think when I am painting. I want to have the muscle memory for where every color is so that its a natural development. If something is out of place or in my way when I am in my flow it is extremely frustrating. When I get to the perfect point of not knowing or caring what time it is while I have a brush in my hand I nurture my flow as much as possible.
Q: Tell us a little about your experience with galleries, would you say that it has been a supportive experience?
A: Extremely supportive and loving! Its been an honor to work with everyone who I have on my resume and others from being in the community even bumping ideas off of each other. Every galleries I have had to work with has taught me something very special and pertinent depending on the experience and that is priceless to me.
Q: What advice do you have for young artists just starting out?
A: Hone your skills, and get out into the community! One of my favorite situations right now is when I am able to relate to other artists creating and invite them to my studio being able to talk shop and get other perspectives or create alongside eachother. It can be lonely working so much sometimes so its important to figure out how to incorporate others into your practice somewhat so you don’t loose your mind in solitude.
Q: What comes next, what are your plans for the new year?
A: I am jonesin’ to do a major project involving children. After this opening at Gilberts which is closing on Jan 6 2019 I am going to be able to focus on it while on the road. While traveling Ill be able to interview parents and kids and create my references for a new body of work. I am so excited too see where this leads me and the research involved for building this.