Chasen Wolcott is a great gateway into abstract art. While abstract, his paintings are autobiographical. In them, you’ll find his Indian and Mexican heritage, his California DIY mentality, and his interest in nature and physics. Through gestural painting, he tries to express freedom, action, and Rock n Roll.
Wolcott talked to WOE about the shift to abstract paintings, learning and breaking formal rules, controlling chaos and much more.
Xavier Spurlock: When you started painting it was family portraits, birthday cards, etc.--- now it’s mostly abstract, gestural paintings. What caused this change?
Chasen Wolcott: It’s cool that you know this. I loved drawing when I was a kid and drew friends and family pictures all the time. I started to see a lot of paintings and studied history so I think as a young artist I just was curious and wanted to get better in a different way. That forces some formal training. I’m happy I went through it cause now I get to break the rules again. Now I can be free with movement, while having a critical reason behind it.
Did your confidence and fearlessness come easy when you started working in the abstract or was it a difficult shift?
It definitely takes a lot of patience and you have a lot of ups and downs. I’ve always been a confident person and trust processes so even if it was easy I always wanted to push myself.
You’ve talked about how aiming to make things flawless removes the spirit and grit that makes painting interesting. Did this draw you to abstraction?
Yes I think that goes back to breaking the rules. Knowing why you make certain marks before you do them could help push yourself to make more of your own style. Although, there’s a fine balance between making raw art and thinking about it after though. Sometimes it’s better to work hard then critique after. Not while making. And the spirit will create its own, not get drowned.
A 2016 Painting By Wolcott, Before He Moved Into Abstract Art
What inspires you to paint?
Nature is the foundation then the psychics that come with it. Natural phenomenons or destruction. Something that shows someone or something was there captured in motion. Experiences camping. Sometimes a girl in a cafe could make me want to create a composition too.
Can you elaborate on being driven by the inescapable qualities of the natural world?
A little more on the psychics of the previous answer is that we as humans are in the world experiencing all these different laws and principles. For example gravity and light and motion. Some create patterns that I start to make in my paintings. Patterns of ocean meeting land. Or weather. I’m always looking into bringing those principles into painting whether it’s visually or physically. Almost as if I’m defying gravity or have a light wand as my brush.
Who and what has most influenced your work?
My friends and family. DIY culture growing up in California. Other artists I’ve met. And of course De Kooning to name one historical.
What do you aim to express in your paintings?
Love, emotion, time, excitement, adrenaline, freedom and movement. Rock n roll too.
Do you recognize yourself in your paintings?
Yes I do. Philosophically every painting I do is a self portrait.
How does your descent play a role in your work?
Utilizing your land as tools and creativity being part Native American. Drawing as a form of communication with non traditional tools. Mexican heritage also brings tribal and community together for spiritual presentation including color, mythology, and higher powers.
You highlight the speed of modern life, playfulness, and being in the state of flow– these are qualities in surfing, skating, etc. does this come from your West Coast upbringing?
There’s no playbook to these types of expressions. It’s all hype and try. This punk do-it-yourself mentality and document it is what California knows how to do best. Creativity among your friends to do something different is what you strive for. Making lines unique and bold. To forget about what you have to do after. To be fully in the moment.
How’d being in Florence, Italy influence your painting?
Renaissance. Architecture. Good food and taking your time eating till the very last bite.
Can you tell me about your seemingly current interest in the color blue?
Blue honestly just hits my spots. Makes me feels good and creative and happy. I could get into the lyrical meanings like health zones, blood pumping, ocean for examples. I could go for days on all these references yet it all stems back to my emotion around the deep emotion I can hold with the color. It’s a slow and fast color (the larger hue) at the same time.
Jackson Pollock said “Do not look for anything, but receive what the painting has to offer and not bring subject matter or preconceived ideas of what you’re looking for. Do you agree with this statement and do you have a preconceived image in mind when you begin a painting?
I want to agree with that and somewhat I do but everything has to stem from something. I’d say sometimes his subject matter was what alcohol was making him feel up to that starting moment. Sometimes your subject matter is so disguised without you even knowing what your painting is going to do or make you feel.
Your titles and captions usually comes with a narrative, does that come once the painting is done or can you feel the narrative coming together as you paint?
Sometimes it helps me hint toward the narrative I want the viewer to having a starting point with. Other times it’s just a simultaneous experience happening while making that particular piece or series.
When is a painting finished?
When the wave crashes on the shore and you have to paddle back out to sea.
Details From Multiple Wolcott Paintings.
Can you elaborate on what role chaos plays in your work?
Chaos is action to me. To control chaos is a good painting. Like the impressionists did with their brushwork to paint the air quickly in their landscapes to add feeling as a whole to their pictures. Use it as advantage not a distraction.
What have you discovered, either about yourself or about the world, in your paintings?
So far the biggest thing recently has been the boundary between action painting and performance.
What’s next?
Going traveling. Headed to Mexico City. Do a lot of sketch book studies and work on getting a new studio in Los Angeles when I return this fall. Maybe have a show this fall somewhere.
My current show is at The Olympia Club in Santa Monica, CA. Up till first or second week of September. Go see it!