Concrete Block: an autobiography

I taught myself to paint while serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Western Samoa. Since my first painting was a portrait of a student (I was a science teacher,)  I was imprinted on portraiture. Throughout my art career, it's always been my first love. For a decade, I traveled the world and did character studies of indigenous people: 

Morning in Samoa   by Nolan Haan     24 x 36 inches   oil on canvas

When I returned to the United States, I became a wildlife artist and specialized in portraits of birds:

Nolan Haan     Peacock   oil on panel     40 x 60 inches

When I finally dedicated myself to contemporary art and began doing paintings of concrete block walls, it was inevitable that I would eventually paint portraits of cement blocks.

What?

When asked at cocktail parties what I do, my answer is "I paint portraits of concrete blocks." As you can imagine, this is usually met with a glassy stare and a hasty retreat. I draw strength knowing that Andy Warhol once had to say, "I do paintings of Campbell's  soup cans." And we all know how that turned out. On occasion, however, someone will ask the logical next question, "Why?"

It took me a long time to answer that question, to realize that these concrete blocks were actually portraits of myself. I never painted a traditional self-portrait, always reluctant to reveal so much about myself. Subconsciously, I was using concrete as a diary. One by one,  the cement blocks were documenting my emotions, my states of mind--my life. My concrete alter ego is less self-conscious, so honesty comes more easily. A life story told in the language of cement...

Close to Silence     acrylic on silk, mounted on hardboard    70 x 40 inches

This series showcases the sculptural integrity of individual blocks, often rendered larger-than-life. The process begins with two questions: "What do I wish to convey about myself?" followed by, "How can concrete block convey this emotion?"

Since they look so 3-D, most viewers go first to the technical aspect of the work. My hope is that the content will also be explored. I want viewers to see something of themselves reflected back.

Nolan Haan in his studio, holding Close to Silence

When asked for a picture of myself in my studio for a forthcoming book, TENWORDSANDONESHOT, this was my submission. (The painting is ready to be mounted on a piece of hardboard cut to the exact shape of the block.) It was a relief to have the concrete block speak on my behalf.

Thank you for taking the time to read by blog. Please bookmark this page so you can find me again. If you have any feedback or questions, feel free to post here or email me at nolanhaan@att.net. Also, my website is awaiting your visit at www.AddictedToWalls.com. Take care, and have a productive week.

A flock of Concrete Blocks

My faithful blog readers deserve to be way ahead of the curve in regards to the twists and turns of my artistic output. As promised when I started this blog, I want to share with you any new directions that I am considering. This is a risk for an artist, because once a series of paintings is proposed, it is at the mercy of people’s opinions, both positive and negative. Every comment that an artist hears about a work in progress has the power to affect the artwork. In the interest of full disclosure, however, I will take that risk. So, in the foreseeable future, my next major series will be (insert drum roll): A Flock of Concrete Blocks.

What you see above is a "sketch" of the concept, which is how I always start my paintings. I will do many of these before I choose my first flock. A simple line drawing is all I need. The textures will be added as I actually paint the cement blocks on my silk.  The painting will be mounted on a shaped panel. This is an example of a finished painting:

DNA   acrylic on silk, mounted on shaped panel   48 x 70 inches

For now, I am playing with design and relationships. In this series, I obviously removed the constraints of gravity. My concrete blocks will tumble and float and intermingle across the expanse of a large wall. The scale of each will be much larger than life. They will appear light and feel heavy at the same time. Each block will be a separate painting, and then hung on the venue wall to form the flock. As usual, each painting will be shaped like the concrete block itself. If two or more blocks overlap, they will be done as one painting.

This series presents many challenges, but I am extremely excited to give it a try. It will take many months to complete, and you will be with me at each stage.  Oh, and if you know anyone with a large, vacant wall, please let me know.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog. If you are a fan of cement, I invite you to visit my website: AddictedToWalls.com. I would love to hear from you, so please don't be shy and leave a comment. Take care, and watch out for those flocks of cinder blocks.

Nolan Haan: "Naked"

I won't ask for a show of hands, but I'm sure many of you have asked yourselves, "What does a concrete block look like completely nude?" My latest painting, "Naked," resolves that burning question. Enjoy.

Unadorned. Unapologetic. Fully exposed with all its faults, yet proudly displaying its sculptural beauty. No smooth skim coat. No fancy stucco finish.  Its beauty lies in its imperfections--a lesson, perhaps.

The painting is quite large, 72 x 36 inches, and is painted in acrylic on silk, then mounted on hardboard cut to the shape of the concrete block. It's a trompe l'oeil (fool-the-eye) painting, completely flat. The center holes are cut out, so you see the venue wall through them. The artwork is mounted two inches from the wall, casting beautiful shadows.

My cement block grew from humble beginnings:

As usual, the first step is to block in the shapes, using gesso of various shades. No detail at this stage, only basic shadows and solid planes of color. The hardboard upon which the painting will be affixed is cut later using a common jigsaw. For now, I must paint the image slightly larger, allowing for the wrapping around the edges of the hardboard. 

 

I am adding the final details and getting excited about the grand unveiling (my current and former tenants can attest to how exciting that is!) My studio is a 400 sq. foot room in my historic apartment building in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  Each month I hang my most recent painting in the public hallway, under perfect lighting of course! If you're ever in South Florida, please stop by.

UPDATE: "Naked" had its world unveiling at the Boca Raton Museum of Art's "All Florida" exhibition, curated by Valerie Leeds (Flint Institute of Art.) Please see the following post with pictures from the event.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my art blog. Please bookmark this page so you can read the new entry each Sunday. If you have any questions, please ask, and don't forget to check out my website: AddictedToWalls.com. Take care and have a good week.

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Progress Report: A Flock of Concrete Blocks/Discrimination

My first Flock of Concrete Blocks is comprised of ten individual paintings that will comment on the various ways we discriminate against the physically handicapped. The paintings are in acrylic on silk, mounted on shaped panels. Three paintings are now completed.

Physically Handicapped      acrylic on silk, mounted on shaped panel     28 x 32 inches

This is the star of the series. Each painting floats two inches from the wall, so shadows of the cement blocks will be cast on the venue wall, adding another level of interest.

Avoidance     acrylic on silk, mounted on shaped panel     52 x 34 inches

When confronted with a physically handicapped person, we are sometimes guilty of avoidance. One of my best friends is wheelchair bound. I love spending time with him, but everything is a bit more complicated. If we go to an art show or the supermarket, he has to be helped into the car, and then the wheel chair has to be stowed in the trunk. My house has eight front steps, so if I invite him for dinner, there is the issue of getting him into the house. Nothing major, just an extra effort. Sometimes that small effort is enough for me to refrain from inviting my friend to a function. Avoidance.

Repulsion     acrylic on silk, mounted on shaped panel     50 x 32 inches

Sometimes the physical deformity is so great that our immediate response is repulsion. Just as we are genetically predisposed to respond positively to beauty within our own species, deviation of the norm can elicit repugnance. Once I was eating in a restaurant when a severely handicapped person was seated at a table across from me. I am ashamed to say that I literally lost my appetite. Intellectually I told myself that he was a person just like me, but physically I could not eat. My compassion could not override my repulsion. 

Below is my working sketch for this series of paintings, showing the scale with the silhouette of the man. I substituted the three concrete block sketches on the right with the first three paintings.

 Sketch for A Flock of Concrete Blocks: Discrimination     showing progress

Thank you for following my progress on this new series. I appreciate your support of my blog, and I encourage you to post comments. If you have experienced discrimination, I'd like to hear from you. Perhaps your story will become part of a series. Please visit my website at www.AddictedToWalls.com. Take care and have a prejudice-free week.

Art of Discrimination

Many people are curious about my process, so today I will take you on a step by step tour of how my concept for a group of paintings entitled "Art of Discrimination" developed.

Step one: the Concept. When I come upon a person who is physically challenged, I react in specific ways. Depending on the severity of the deformity, I tend to respond with avoidance, indifference, or curiosity. I am ashamed of these reactions, but I believe they are typical human responses. I wanted to depict these reactions using a series of concrete blocks.

Step two: the sketch. I drew the installation prototype with a free program, Google Sketchup. With this software program, I can draw a concrete block, then orient it in space. By carefully positioning the blocks, I achieved the attitudes of avoidance, indifference, and curiosity. These simple shapes are all I need to render the final paintings.

Sketch for "Art of Discrimination" by Nolan Haan  7 x 32 feet 

My computer generated working sketch for the physically challenged concrete block is:

The scale is for a 32 linear foot wall, which I consider an average size installation. Each of the cement blocks will be a highly realistic, larger-than-life painting in acrylic on silk. Each will be painted separately and mounted on a shaped panel using acid free adhesive.

Step Three: Preparing the silk. The first thing I do is cut and wash a piece of  silk charmeuse (the same material wedding dresses are made of), using cold water and a gentle shampoo. This pre-shrinks the fabric, so it won't respond to the water based acrylic paint and gesso that is later applied. The silk is air dried and then ironed:

Contemporary artist Nolan Haan preparing silk charmeuse for painting

Silk is difficult to work with, but because it has a smooth surface, it does not compromise the illusion of cement with the texture of canvas. To keep it square, I tape the edges with masking tape.

Step four: The painting begins. The shape of the concrete block is carefully pencil sketched on the silk. The basic planes are blocked in using Golden Gesso. I mix black and white gesso to make various shades of gray.

I do not worry about details at this stage. I want a layer of gesso on the entire surface, and I want to be sure the shapes are all correct.

The gesso layer is complete.

Step five: With the design blocked in, I begin the process of painting the cement detail, using acrylic paint. Over the years I have developed  proprietary techniques to transform the silk into cement. I incorporate brushes, rubbing, and spray paint to transform the luxurious fabric into concrete. No computer, printing, photo transfer, silk screen, or photographic techniques are used. 

Step six: mounting. When the painting is complete, I cut a piece of hardboard to the exact shape of the block, using a jigsaw. I then mount the painting onto the board with acid free  spray adhesive.

The final painting

UPDATE: The Boca Art Museum accepted Art of Discrimination into their highly competitive "All Florida" exhibition. Because of the 8 foot size restriction, I could only enter 3 of the panels. The painting was a hit! The museum's education department asked me to give a talk about my work. It's always gratifying to see a concept come to life and engage a viewer.

As usual, I appreciate your time spent reading my blog. Please bookmark the page and share it with your friends. To see more of my artwork, please visit my website: AddictedToWalls. This week I was profiled in the Cultural Quarterly-- you don't want to miss that riveting read! Questions and comments are most welcome, so don't be shy. Take care, and I'll see you next week.