Beyond the sometimes-rigid confines of traditional printmaking techniques there is vast opportunity. Very few printmakers have pioneered the exploration and integration of traditional relief & intaglio printmaking with digital printmaking, drawing, & painting quite like Paine. Plotting and planned, Howard’s methods are skillfully, while his output is thoughtfully riddled with mystery. His workers are eloquent, masterfully made, and possess a cavernous depth.
I first met Howard in Memphis over a decade ago. A graduate of Washington University’s MFA program, Paine faced the sometimes-grueling task of keeping me from crashing into an above average number of walls. I recently had the honor to interview Paine: DBS:
Please start off by telling us 5 random things about your self.
Howard:
- I have a terribly phobia of public speaking.
- I can be indecisive-more on this later.
- I have not had a major haircut since 1989.
- When I first moved to Memphis, I shared an office with a guy named Elvis.
- I love Sushi!
DBS:
What are the three most important things people should know about your art?
Howard:
- There is always another layer of information.
- Craft is important.
- I work in series.
DBS:
What is the single most important supply/tool in your studio?
Howard:
Important? I would like to say something like my Japanese woodcut tools, which are probably my favorite tools. But important, probably the lowly pencil–the visual planning and experimenting tool. Or Photoshop.
DBS:
If you could take a trip in a time machine, when and where would you go?Howard:
Either 1000 or so years in the future, to see what the state of the human race is, but that is perhaps my grouchiness seeping through. I would probably go to the Paleozoic period to collect some giant insects to use as art references. Hmmmm, big bugs…….
DBS:
Either way, it sounds like you expect to find something creepy.Do you work full-time as an artist or do you have another job?
Howard:
I am the Director of the MFA program at Memphis College of Art.
DBS:
When did you start making art and how did you get into it?
Howard:
I remember drawing at age 3, and trying to figure out perspective at 7. So I have been making work for most of my life. In high school, I discovered the satisfaction of making work that expressed a point of view, and then I clubbed people over the head with that. I have since learned that ambiguity has its benefits.
DBS:
Please select one of the following super human powers that best fit your personality and tell us why:- the ability to fly
- the ability to make full-grown replicas of yourself
- super human strength
- the ability to read minds.
Howard:
All of those would be really useful, but I am going to have to pick the replicas. It would be really helpful when editioning prints and ideally I could have one “me” teach while the others could work in the studio.
DBS:
Why do you make art?Howard:
On one level it is a compulsion, a need, a love of process and physical action. On a cerebral level, the challenge of expressing an idea or feeling in a visual form that a viewer can interpret is really satisfying.
DBS:
Who do you admire (artist or otherwise)? Why?
Howard:
- My wife Teresa, she is incredibly organized, motivated, and supportive. She makes me want to do more and demand more from myself.
- Mark Sisson, his print craft is immaculate, the command of the figure is unmatched, and the subject matter makes me keep looking.
- Gregory Crewdson, he is a master of an open ended mysterious narrative.
DBS:The title of a work of art:
(a) can make or break a piece.
(b) is unimportant, what’s in a name?
why?
Howard:
A: Titles can lead a viewer, give them perspective, or shut them out. When I watch people in museums it seems that they spend more time looking at the title card than the work itself. This leads me to believe that they are important, even if that importance may be unfortunate. DBS:
What is the biggest mistake you have ever made?
Howard:
Wow! There is an opportunity for introspection. Not backing up my data, and losing 9 months of work. That one still haunts me.
DBS: I think I actually remember you losing months worth of work all in one fell swoop. There is nothing good about that.
One more question. You completely change your career path with no limitations; what other fields interest you?
Howard:
- Architecture, the study and design of space.
- American Studies, this was my other major in college and it has always been an interest to study the makeup and understanding of culture.
- Cooking. Increasingly I am getting a lot of satisfaction out of making food, both for me and for others. It is interesting how it uses more senses than the visual arts.
DBS:Great catching up with you Howard. Season's Greeting!
- To show your support for The Studio Chronicle and Professor Paine, please leave a comment!
- Join us next week as The Studio Chronicle sits down with Edwardsville artist Dan Anderson for our last interview of 2009.
