| Leah Oates: When did you know you wanted to be an artist? I read a bit about you beforehand, and you came from an artistic and bohemian family in Montreal, where you were raised. You had originally wanted to become a lawyer. What was your progression? Chris Dorland: I have always been an extremely visual person, but I was never much into art as a kid. |
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The City of the Future: An Interview With Painter Chris Dorland – Leah Oates
2006-3.jpg "Chris Dorland, Untitled, 2006. Ink/enamel/photo collage on paper, 22 x 30ââ¬Â.")
Leah Oates: When did you know you wanted to be an artist? I read a bit about you beforehand, and you came from an artistic and bohemian family in Montreal, where you were raised. You had originally wanted to become a lawyer. What was your progression?
Chris Dorland: I have always been an extremely visual person, but I was never much into art as a kid. I preferred skateboarding and video games. My childhood dream was to move to Century City in Los Angeles. I wanted to be a lawyer, wear tailored suits and drive a sports car. Aesthetically, I had the whole thing figured out. My grandmother, whom I was very close to, was an architect. I’ve always been fascinated by buildings.
In my teens, I started doing graffiti and I became totally consumed. I continued telling everyone I was going to be a lawyer, but in the meantime I would spend hours and hours alone drawing or wandering around the city with my friends. I was completely possessed. At some point I realized I was going to take it all the way. My parents were both very supportive of my decision. I moved to New York shortly after.
LO: How do you think the Canadian art scene compares to the New York art scene? There are some amazing artists in Canada, such as Jeff Wall and Edward Burtynsky, who are making some of the best work being made anywhere. What are your thoughts on this?
CD: There are good artists everywhere. I couldn’t tell you the first thing about the Canadian art scene.
LO: How did growing up in Montreal affect your work? I read that Expo 67 in Montreal has inspired some of your work.
CD: Well, Montreal is an interesting case because its modern infrastructure was designed, all at once, in the years building up to Expo 67. At the time, it was very much thought of as the city of the future. There was lots of international attention. The fair itself was very innovative. The pavilions tended to be quite experimental, if not visionary. As with most cities, some of the pavilions are left behind after the fair is over. The rest is demolished. In many cases, the leftovers become landmarks; the Eiffel Tower is perhaps the most famous. In Montreal, it was the Buckminster Fuller Geodesic Dome and Habitat 67. Both are very unusual structures. I have a number of distinct early memories of these bizarre forms looming on the horizon. They left very profound impressions on me.
By the time I was a teenager, in the early 90s, the whole city was basically rotting from the inside. There was a recession. The economy was broken. French separatists were creating a lot of instability. The place was falling apart. There were “for rent” signs everywhere. That’s when I got into graffiti. I would spend my nights wandering around the city, sneaking in and out of abandoned buildings and rooftops. I profoundly hated the place. I couldn’t wait to get the hell away. I think the dome in particular became the focal point of my contempt. In my mind it really represented the stupidity and the failure of a certain kind of dream.
It wasn’t until I started to pursue my interest in architecture that I learned how interesting and innovative the ideas behind the Bucky Geodesic Dome were. At that point, I understood to what extent these monuments possessed internal contradictions that were both at odds yet fundamental to our current landscape. This really was the launching point for my work.
LO: When you first conceive a painting, what is the process? Do you start with a photograph that is found, or that you have taken and then that blurs with your memory and dreams for that location or space? How does a painting evolve and develop for you? Describe your working process.
CD: Each piece tends to come into being differently. But, the overall idea is that I like to find things in the world that remind me of things in my head. I really enjoy that possibility. Once I find something I like, I play with it. That can mean cutting it up, scanning it, Xeroxing it or painting it. At some point I’m left with an image that means something to me. Then, I’m ready to start painting. Once the oil painting process begins, all I really care about is the act of translating one thing into another. The literal meaning of the image recesses and I just want the painting to be as successful as possible.
LO: What are the themes in your work and what inspires you?
CD: Someone once told me all work is either about death or sex. If that’s the case, I’ll take death.
LO: Who are your favorite artists and why?
CD: People come in and out of focus. Johns is probably my favorite artist. He’s a real complicated thinker. Richter and Warhol as well. These are hardly original answers.
LO: Your career has really taken off in the last couple of years. You where voted artist of the year at Scope (2005) and have had several shows at top galleries, what is this like for you as an artist to get this kind of visibility for your work? How does it affect your work as well if at all?
CD: It just means that my work is beginning to develop an audience and a dialogue is starting to happen. It takes the work out of a vacuum and begins putting it in a context. It’s great to have people believe in what you’re doing. The general effect has been that’s it’s made me want to take more risks with my work.
LO: What advice would you give to other artists who are new to NYC, who would like to get their work seen?
CD: I really don’t know what to say on this count. Figuring out how to have your work seen is a problem like any other. There are a million ways of solving it. And how you solve it invariably contributes to defining the kind of artist you will be. My only advice is to take pleasure in trying to figure it out.
LO: What projects, shows etc do you have planned and what are your plans or ideas for your painting in 2007-08?
CD: I just finished a bunch of work for an art fair. I’ve basically been on lock down since the end of December. I can count on my hands how many times I’ve left my loft. Some days, it feels a little extreme and a little dysfunctional; other days, it feels productive. I think I’m starting a new body of work. Right now my girlfriend is in town, so I’m getting a break. I’m working on these black and white paintings. I’m really into Franz Kline. I’m also teaching myself color theory. I have this book that explains stuff and gives exercises. I make color charts in my studio and I listen to music.
