Interview with Christopher Hoff, plein air painter of cityscapes

At the downtown Seattle Art Walk this month, I was blown away by the urban landscapes of Christopher Hoff on display at the Linda Hodges Gallery. Thankfully, Christopher is as gracious as he is talented and I was able to pull him away from his art just long enough to meet up, grab some photos, and talk a bit about what he’s up to.

Christopher is a plein air painter so if you make it out and around Seattle, you may run into him on top of one of downtown’s buildings or hanging out painting in your local alleyway. He works with oil on linen, paints in multiple locations each day (for several hours at each location) and his most recent works contain inspiration from Moby Dick worked throughout. I highly recommend checking out the show this month if you get a chance. While you’re there, pick up the copy of Moby Dick on the counter with all the inspirational quotes for the paintings flagged.

The show is at Linda Hodges Gallery through May 29th, 2010 so get in there as soon as you can.

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So why don’t you start by telling us how you got started in plein air painting?

For some reason, perhaps the weather, some of the best plein air painters in the country just happened to be teaching at SCAD (The Savannah College of Art and Design) while I was getting my BFA from 94-98. I guess there was something about the scale, form, and ever-changing flux that got me hooked working outside.

How important is Seattle as a setting for your paintings? If you had to pick another city to live in and paint, which one would it be and why?

I’d say it’s quite important. The mild climate here suits me. Summers here are some of the best anywhere and I can always count on the consistent gray light of winter to bring to my attention even the most humble objects. As for other cities, I think I’d like to work in Berlin. It’s a city that puts a high value on good design, craftsmanship, and public transportation.

How do you feel your work has changed in the last 14 years that you’ve been painting?

I think I’m becoming somewhat more confident in my process. There was a great quote, I think by Rodin, saying that in dedication to one’s craft – the 10,000 hours of work idea – one is set free. I’m sure I obliterated his words but the idea of creative meditation through a rigid painting schedule seems to get pretty close to the core of making something that matters. On some level though, in order to deal with the struggle of making work every day (without “knowing” the outcome), you have to convince yourself that what you are doing is important, even though, in a pragmatic sense, it’s fairly absurd.

What’s the wildest experience you’ve had while out working on a painting?

The time the guy walked up to my painting and started to work right in front of me is probably the strangest but other than that…. I’ve been attacked by a family of seagulls on the rooftop of 19 story building in Seattle (their nest was in another corner of the building) and I’ve had a drug addict punch (nearly put his fist through) a very expensive piece of stretched linen that I had been working on for about 2 months when I ignored his “constructive criticism”.

With this current set of paintings you’re showing, what themes are you exploring and how did you find it to work “Moby Dick” into your urban scenes?

My paintings have always explored the idea of opposites. For example: the idea of making a group of dumpsters, a construction site, or even a concrete plant beautiful, as if it were some kind of sculpture. I think this is at the heart of Melville’s use of language. It was a place for him to find beauty in unexpected places.

Are you seeing the signs of “Ahab” everywhere you turn?

Absolutely! I think part my connection with Ahab was a kind of personal and inexplicable drive to work, knowing full well that the reason there aren’t many plein air painters is because it is nearly an impossible way to make a living. Seeing “the writing on the wall” and continuing, for better or worse, is quite like Ahab.

How is the new series being received? What are people who know your previous work saying about it?

Most people enjoy looking at the work but I think they usually don’t dive into the content. I thought it was really nice to see how people experienced the work differently once they had heard me talking to someone else about a painting. Good work, for me, pulls you in long enough to want to spend some time there and then invites you to keep digging. So far, the people who have been digging usually feel rewarded once they put the work in context. The people who know my work tend to expect something behind it. They seem to appreciate these subtleties and usually keep their eyes open for them.

What local artists inspire you?

Living local artists: Whiting Tennis, Dan Webb, Margie Livingston are always inspiring.

Dead NW painter: Vanessa Helder (1904-1968) did an amazing series of watercolors documenting the building of Grand Coulee Dam – truly amazing!

Within a painting that you’re working on, what determines whether or not you depict something figuratively or “realistically”? Do the figurative clues work themselves in over time or do you tend to see the right away when you scout the scene?

It’s usually an ‘organic process’. I’ll usually get an idea only after I’ve spent 40 or 50 hours at a site. Sometimes even much later than that.

Can you tell us a bit about the Ground Zero Project?

Sure. Back in 2003 I received an Elizabeth Greenshields Grant to create a series of 11 paintings which document the numerous construction projects at the WTC site between 2003 and 2013. So far, I’ve completed 3 of these paintings at the site and I’m headed back next month to do paintings 4 and 5. It’s an incredibly difficult logistical problem to get materials to NYC, to stay there for 10-14 days working 10 hour days, and gaining access to the site. Fortunately the Port Authority (they own the property) has been very generous to my project. I was also awarded a grant from Artist Trust (Seattle) in 2006 and another Elizabeth Greenshields Grant this year.

So how do you paint a site that’s in constant flux when the paintings take months to complete?

It really is a challenge. There are sites that I’ve chosen not to paint because they change too quickly. The most unique challenges to paint are typically constructions sites. Here I rely on my experience as a construction worker to anticipate the site’s building schedule. If it’s a site I’m really interested I’ll usually speak directly to the general contractor or an architect at the site about when and how the it will change. Flux is a healthy. It makes you realize what’s really important and what you need to let go of.

What’s next? Where is all this painting going? Do you have a gigantic whale, metaphorically speaking, you’re readying yourself to pursue?

I think it’s too early to tell. Every person who struggles and truly commits to their creative work is chasing a “whale”. History tells us it usually ends very badly, even for the greatest of painters (Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Caravaggio etc.) and writers (Moby Dick sank Melville’s career). I can’t say I’m very hopeful on the matter but Ismael didn’t know what he was signing on to when he joined the crew of the Pequod either.

Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to me about your work.

Thanks for the good questions.

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Tagged as: Christopher Hoff, Dan Webb, Linda Hodges Gallery, Margie Livingston, painting, plein air, Seattle, Vanessa Helder, Whiting Tennis