Interview with Paul Hartel

From New York, I now live in Sligo Ireland. I received liberal arts masters and bachelors degrees from Fairleigh Dickinson University and Ithaca College, and arts and humanities certificates from Museum of Modern Art, NYC.
I paint and draw with mixed media including oils, acrylics, oil pastels and charcoal, in figurative, abstract and neo-expressionist styles.
I have exhibited and enjoyed representation by art galleries in New York City, Los Angeles, Milan, Waterford, Sligo and Dublin with works currently in residence at Green Gallery, Dublin, Ireland. My work has been sold, auctioned and gifted for charitable organisations and private collectors in the U.S., Europe and Australia.

How would you describe yourself and your artwork?

I’m a largely self-taught artist and like to think of myself as somewhat rebellious and non-conformist. I like spontaneity and improvisation. 

How do you go about beginning a new piece? Do you have an idea already in mind, or do you start working with materials or sketches to find the departure point?

I use a method described by Willem DeKooning, which is basically “slapping paint on the canvas and hoping for the best.” I believe my work yields a spontaneous veracity that may otherwise be mitigated by hesitation. I tend to operate from a raw sense of urgency, typically without pre-planning.  

When do you think your most prolific time of day or week is?

Anytime the mood or urge to paint sets in, really. It could be anytime.

What is a barrier you as an artist overcame? Is there anything that enabled you to develop your work as an artist in your life? 

I can’t say I’ve had any barriers. I’ve been quite fortunate in terms of opportunities and support. I would say wonder, joy and pain are all forces for me.

Did you have an idea of what you wanted to create right from the beginning?

Again, I think spontaneity is important. I think it is a good way to naturally discover your own style, without pre-conceptions or planning or anticipation which I think can be repressive; just let the work create itself, if you will.

What is the meaning or creative inspiration for your work? We’re curious what the narrative or story is to what you are producing? 

Recent works have come out of the pandemic period. They are quite ‘neo-expressionist’ I would say, and involve perceptions of fear and confusion and anxiety regarding covid infection and how that has been handled and the devastation caused.  I guess the positive and paradoxical aspect is how something so small, like a virus, is overcome ultimately by something so intangibly large which is the human spirit and the fight for its freedom.

Besides your artworks, are there any other things in life that your voice as an artist may consider vital or valuable? What makes you joyful and creative, in other words?

Being involved with the local community. I’ve done a lot of fundraisers with art I’ve donated. It’s a nice way to show the value of art and use it as a cornerstone for community involvement or awareness of a particular issue.

Are there any exhibitions or places where people can see these beautiful creations in person soon? Anything on the horizon?

There’s the upcoming “Madrid Station Exhibition” in Spain, covering the period of the ARCO 2022 art fair and the Spanish Art Month in February 2022. I’ve some works in residence at Green Gallery, Dublin, Ireland, too.  I am conceptually developing a large-scale painting project called “Synchronicity: Art of the Mind” that touches on individuality, diversity and the collective “angst” we face in our lives, personally and globally in societies today.

Website: https://hartelart.com