Hannah Witner: Embracing the Flow State
Artist Hannah Witner considers experimentation and exploration to be at the core of her creative process. Hannah’s charcoal and oil paintings, often rendered on unstretched canvas, are heavily influenced by psychology, interpersonal relationships, and disorder. While rooted in these themes, Hannah allows room for spontaneity while working in the flow state. In this interview, Hannah shares the evolution of her work with us.
Tell me about your background and where your creative journey began.
Art started as a child, where I simply created because I enjoyed it and my mind had not yet been tainted by what I was "supposed" to do or make. I continued to pursue my practice because it felt natural; something I could never give up even if I tried. If I go too long without making, I'm not myself.
I was born and raised in Charlotte, NC, USA. I was lucky that my mom always supported my clear love of creating from a very young age and she did everything she could to nurture it. I loved making whatever I could get my hands on, all the time. I always wanted to be an artist - as a kid I took every art class I could. All my friends knew me as the girl who likes to draw. I continued wanting this through high school, although still worried about financial stability so naturally I explored other possibilities. I had an amazing teacher who helped me realize how art could carry me and how it existed in the real world. She opened my mind to sculpture through ceramics and conceptual art. I had another mentor who taught me to paint through a critical lens, and influenced my love of oil painting ever since. I was also interested in Psychology and History, and Biology; my work now is still heavily focused on psychology, the body, spacial awareness, and the people around me.
I moved to NYC to attend Parsons to pursue my passion in art, and subsequently pursued a career as a graphic designer as well. Now I am both a fine artist and a corporate artist (designer).
I'll never not be an artist, it's such a central part of my being.
Where do you find inspiration for your work?
Most of my work comes from daily life and my inner life - how I move through the world. I'll use pictures that I take or find as painting references, as well as people that I know or see. I usually like to work from some kind of reference image that I take, if even just to very loosely reference it. I find that this helps keep my work grounded and true, rather than solely coming from nothing; viewers can connect with even the slightest hint of reality better than nothingness. I also love listening and watching for strange situations - conversations or certain positions or enigmatic actions of others will inspire me. Otherwise, I get catalyzed from my personal emotions, thoughts, and moods. I often take inspiration from unconscious ways that I experience the world through identity, isolation, interpersonal relationships, psychology, disorder, dissociation, detachment, individualism, transience.
I also enjoy lots of comedy podcasts, movies and shows. I love to laugh at absurd things and have time to ponder why something detaches from the norm. And of course I get inspiration from visiting art shows, architecture, performances, and seeing other art forms that really move me. I am also inspired by new environments including bustling and serene spaces; the high and low frequency of places. I love the dynamics of busy cities and unique culture, as well as the pureness of national parks and natural wonders.
How has your work shifted and evolved over time?
At different stages of life I can recognize which bodies of work I created and associate them with where I lived, who was in my life, or what I was doing otherwise. My only parameters are that I want my work to be good (duh), something that I feel has something to say, and something that helps me grow as an artist.
Usually my work evolves with my life, but continues to circle around a few themes that are relatively consistent, even though my styles have changed drastically. I’ve cycled through making oil paintings, ceramic sculpture, photography, jewelry, drawings, and now I make oil paintings and lots of charcoal drawings. Often this is influenced by what I have access to or space for. I love to experiment…maybe all of my work is an experiment? My favorite body of work up to now started as one, where I wanted to use charcoal and oil on unprimed canvas. I think that is the key to keeping a successful studio practice; I don’t ever want to be “stuck” in a place where I couldn’t experiment. Usually these thoughts that come from “flow” state can lead to the most interesting artistic findings; when I least expect them.
I am also a graphic designer/art director in an ad agency, so of course my fine art work is influenced by this and vice versa. These have been parallel journeys that I’ve learned to explore my own aesthetics and strengths in; advertising is a more direct way of viewer communication that is interesting to loop in.
What does a typical day in the studio look like for you, and how has your art practice grown or changed?
There’s no real “typical” day…they are all different. I’ve had different stages of life that dictate my studio and working style as well. This depends on what studio I am using at the time, what job I have and how I’m working, what I’m doing with my free time, and comfort in the space I’m in (both physically and mentally). I don’t have a permanent studio right now, I move often based on artist residencies and life changes. My studio time usually happens when I have large chunks of time available. Sometimes this means working on small drawings or an oil painting, or multiple oil paintings if I’m able. Some days I’ll work on just one or two pieces and get really involved and maybe finish in one sitting, other days I’ll feel more like shifting around to work on many (sometimes 5 at a time) pieces in smaller steps that move each one forward. There is always a satisfaction in finishing a piece, and I tend to work pretty fast. I often get antsy with my works, and am eager to try another idea or composition with a new piece. This definitely allows me to make lots of work and experiment to find new styles and directions. In high school I made long drawn-out oil paintings, and I’ve slowly gotten away from that through college and in the years after. I like the spontaneity of work that is done without meticulous planning…it allows for happenstance decisions to be made while in the “flow” state. It allows me to experiment in ways that planning wouldn’t let me. These pieces have a more fresh feeling, not weighed down by complicated overthought or overworked paint strokes. I always want my work to hit the viewer viscerally, with the “visual shock” that Francis Bacon talks about.
I try to create when inspiration strikes, and if it doesn’t, I spend time doing more tedious tasks like painting gesso, stretching canvases, or photographing my work. Being an artist means you have to do all the other “maintenance” that’s involved, including buying supplies, preparing space, finding studio space, organizing, networking, photographing and documenting, writing, editing, applications, installations, keeping a website and CV updated, and transportation and storage of work. My art practice has slowly gotten more serious and more involved as I progress in my career - which I love! I have learned to embrace my own intuitions about what is good and what I enjoy creating. I have accepted the journey that being an artist is, and continue to expand my practice to new locations, as well as continue to try and explore my key artistic themes.
Which experiences have impacted your work as an artist?
Some obvious events include going to art school, working full time in NYC and squeezing art-making into a few hours in the evening, the covid-19 quarantine, international travel and artist residencies. The physical limitations of space in NYC catalyzed a certain way of art-making, as well as trying to figure out ways to bring supplies around the world. The pandemic meant I was able to use a new studio while unemployed, but more time doesn’t always mean more evolution. I have been able to move in and out of various studios that influence the way that I work and what inspires each particular body of work. The most impactful experiences have been interactions and relationships with others, including family, friends, partners, and communities that I’ve been a part of. I can also point to particular moments in time that I tell myself to remember for the shear strangeness or impact of what was happening.
How has Instagram impacted your art career?
Instagram acts as a great connector to other, and especially other artists. It’s more of a “working” portfolio where I can share day-to-day work, because I don’t have time to update my website as often; I can show a lot more there. It mainly allows me to follow all my favorite artists; most of the contemporary art I see these days is largely on Instagram.
What are your future goals and aspirations?
My main goals are to keep growing as an artist in my skill and style, as well as presentation, experience, and ultimately my career. I love being able to experiment and continue to evolve my various bodies of work. I also love traveling for artist residencies, showing and sharing my work, and being a part of creative communities - local and international. I hope to continue to make better work and watch my work evolve through the filter of time and thought. Being an artist is a long game, and the process is all part of the experience.
Follow Hannah on IG: @hannahwitner
Website: www.artbyhannah.me