(Image: "Reid Tidal Flow" by Brian Hartnett)

About his work, Brian says that “my photography leads me on a search for subjects that reveal something interesting when exposed on film. I look to capture subject, texture, shape, tonality, colors, the illumination of available light or compositional elements".

When did you first realize that you were going to be an artist and when did you first start making art?
Some people still may not consider photographers artists. I can't say there was a conscious decision to pursue making art or a day that I recall I declared "I am an artist". I believe there is a life long process of viewing the world through one's eyes or own filter and then using your imagination, taking materials and shaping those materials to create your work. I watch my son put pen to paper and art just flows out of him. I believe we all are capable of creating art when we use our imagination to shape materials.

Who or what inspires you?
There are probably too many to mention but I will take a shot at it.
I enjoy studying other artist's work. I collect photography books, mostly monographs of various photographers.

Two of my favorite photographers, Stephen Shore and William Eggleston, may have borrowed from preceding photorealist painters like Richard Estes, who studied the works of realist painters such as Edward Hopper. Stephen Shore frequented Andy Warhol's studio, the Factory, and hung around photographing his surroundings. Eggleston had the first one-person exhibition of color photographs at MOMA in 1976 and soon started to become familiar with Andy Warhol's circle of friends and influence.

Daido Moriyama is another photographer influenced by Warhol and a favorite of mine. He is known for his radical cropping, different shooting angles and gritty, stark, black and white images that have a graphic quality to them.

William Eggleston's early work was inspired by Swiss-born photographer, Robert Frank, and by French photographer, Henri Cartier-Bresson. Robert Frank's work, in particular, a book titled The Americans, is a seminal work in American photography which influenced many photographers. Robert Frank was preceded by Walker Evans and his work for the Farm Security Administration documenting the effects of the Great Depression. Evans also had a definitive book published around 1938, titled Walker Evans: American Photographs, that influenced many who followed.

As you start to examine the history of photographers, it appears there is less than "six degrees of separation" for anyone involved with the medium. You can also see how each generation of new photographers is influenced by the past, yet carries the baton moving the medium forward in new directions.

Photographers Edward Weston, Joel Sternfeld, Sebastiao Salgado, Danny Lyon, Saul Leiter, Todd Hido, Fred Herzog, Lee Friedlander and Richard Avedon all find space on my bookshelf!

I think it would be difficult not to emulate or be inspired by the many works of photographers I have studied.

(Image: "Polaroid Chickens" by Brian Hartnett)

Is (was) anyone else in your family in the arts?
No, unfortunately I think any artistic pursuits were discouraged by my father either by example or because it was not considered practical.

An early influence, years before I even considered photography, I met a Polish immigrant Tadeusz Myslowski. He is an artist who supported himself when he first arrived in the USA by painting fire escapes. After much hard work and some success, he set up a studio in a building he purchased in Long Island City, New York. He rented out space in his building to a business I was working for in the early 1980's. Tadeusz and I would eat and drink while discussing his work, art and life. Art and life are intertwined for him. At that time in my youth, I did not have the critical eye to appreciate the quality or significance of his work. Tadeusz's dedication to his work, his passion for creating, his faith that his work was true to his vision and valid, regardless of outside influences, is what I remember most being in the presence of a dedicated "artist".

He also spoke of an urgency to complete each piece. At the age of forty, he approached his work each day as if his life's clock would run out of time before his artistic body of work would be realized. He knew it was important to work hard each day regardless of any setbacks. He knew the daily work process was important yet he did not take himself too seriously. He lives the life of an artist, with the discipline, work ethic and relentless pursuit of his artistic vision.

Are you self-trained or did you go to art school?
Self-trained.

Is the process of creating your art long or short?
The materials I use in photography can provide for a faster process compared to a sculptor's or painter's work. There are certainly more labor intensive, time consuming creations of art. In a broader context, I believe creating art is a life long process regardless of the materials utilized. I have seen works that display enormous amounts of man hours that become an intregal part of the expression of the work. You can't help but appreciate the effort and time required to produce the work when you see the artist's hand in the piece.

Tell us something about your work.
This may be one of the more difficult questions. William Eggleston is noted for having little if anything to say about his work whenever he is interviewed. To loosely quote Eggleston "words and photographs don't mix".

I can tell you something about the work but that may be meaningless to the viewer. I think everyone brings their own set of eyes to a piece and I find it difficult to tell the viewer what they see or how an image should be interpreted.

Do you have a subject matter that defines you as an artist?
Probably not, any commonplace subject in my immediate surroundings is fair game. I look for subjects that reveal something interesting when exposed on film. I look to capture texture, shape, tonality, colors, the illumination of available light or compositional elements.

There have been subjects I revisited because my initial attempts to photograph did not create the look or feel I wanted. If some day I make an iconic image, then people may associate me with that image, but I'm not sure that any single image or subject would define me as an artist. Many well known photographers are viewed this way, they become known for just a few images or a single iconic image from the thousands of exposures they made over a life time.

What makes you stay with a particular subject matter? Why are you drawn to it?
I guess I'm guilty of being haphazard in my approach to subjects. I explore and then try to create something unique from what I see in front of me. An image is successful, in my mind, if I can repeatedly return to view an image over time and still find something fresh or interesting about it.

How do you stay motivated?
I often struggle with this. For me, there is a cycle to making art. I often stop and start the process, but the key is to continue to work at it. I will continue to make art as long as a there is a desire from within to continue to return to the process. I believe you have to keep working consistently to keep the forces of inertia and resistance from weighing you down. I don't always feel inspired or motivated but by doing the work you can push through the inevitable feelings of uncertainty, the low points, let downs, rejections and lack of motivation. I try not to feed my ego or take the outcome of my work too seriously, after all they're just pictures right?

What have you been working on lately? Are you experimenting with anything new?
I have been doing more color work recently. Although it's late in the game, I just got my hands on a Polaroid camera that I'm experimenting with before the film goes away. I like the thought that the physical "negative" becomes the final, singularly unique, one of a kind image almost like the old Daguerreotypes in which the image is exposed directly onto a mirror-polished surface of metal coated with silver. My goal is to self publish a monologue, but I have not decided what the project's content will be. I also want to experiment with portraiture, which I have not pursued to any extent. I remember my non-artistic father said "you should always include a person in your pictures, it makes the photo more interesting". I also remember dropping and breaking the Kodak 110 Pocket Instamatic camera on that family vacation! I can see his point, I do find people and their behavior can be infinitely interesting to study.

Has your medium changed from when you first started out?
The materials and processes have changed somewhat over time with more digital imagery gaining acceptance in the marketplace, while conventional materials continue to become more difficult to source. I currently use a hybrid work flow. Images are created from high resolution digital scans of the original negative and printed with archival pigment ink onto various substrates including canvas and fine art archival papers.

Ultimately a good image is a good image regardless of the process or materials and there is wider acceptance of the newer materials and processes. I believe if the image is compelling, the viewer gets lost in the image and the materials should support that and not compete or distract.

(Image: "Pemaquid Tower" by Brian Hartnett)

What advice would you give to an artist just starting out?
If you are young, live a little, experience life. Maybe a good goal is to continue to learn, study, express yourself and create art, while your life experiences influence your vision and work.

Study the masters in your field of endeavor and learn from what they left behind. Build a solid foundation and improve your "chops" learning to use your materials to express your vision. Stick with your vision, whatever it may be, be true to yourself, do "your" work.

Keep making art, seems simple but many quit.

What kind of comment do you despise the most when overheard at one of your openings?
I can't say I despise anything overheard at one of my openings, but I did witness something once. I was at a juried outdoor event held at an art museum in New York and a husband and wife were viewing the work of an artist who exhibited moving sculptures. The artist's work was created by cutting, shaping and connecting discarded plastic CDs. The wife turned to the husband and commented, "you could easily have made that Harry". She questioned the "high price", loud enough for the artist to hear. He put it all out there and she shot it down with a few choice words. It's part of the process of putting your work out there for the world to view though.

What kind of comment pleases you the most when overheard at one of your openings?
I like seeing people connect with an image. If the image stirs something inside the viewer, they find something they can relate to, if it holds their attention, that is sufficient.

How have you handled the business side of being an artist?
Apparently not very well. I create what I want without regard for whether or not it will sell. I have sold my work to a limited audience who apparently appreciates my vision, but I do not support myself creating art. If I had to rely on my art paying bills, I unfortunately would have to stop creating art. Creating art for commerce is fine, in fact, it should be every artist's goal. It forces you to get your work out there for people to see. It has not been my primary motivation, but I am always trying to sell my work and I respect anyone who has financial success being creative.

Do you have any outside interests other than art?
I have many other interests including politics, cycling, kayaking, and other pursuits including time spent with my wife and 6 year old son! I also play the drums and enjoy music. I have noticed many photographers also play some instrument so there may be a musical connection there?

Are you disciplined about your creative process (in other words, do you treat the process like a job, where you keep particular hours in the studio), or are you more spontaneous?
I am disciplined in my habitually returning to the creative process. For practical reasons, I do not have set hours dedicated to the process. I am consistent in my pursuit of the process but the schedule is not comparable to a job with set hours. The most important thing for me is to approach the work in a serious fashion and put in the time regardless of the day to day setbacks.

How would your life change if you were no longer allowed to create art?
I would probably just have to budget more for therapy?

What's the best part of being a full time, working artist?
Not worrying about making money with my photography while expressing myself creatively.

What's the worst part of being a full time, working artist?
No money?

Do you have any upcoming shows?
Currently no, but please check my web site www.brianhartnett.com for future shows.

Where can we find your work?

I have work available at Freeport Square Art Gallery on Main Street in downtown Freeport. I also have my work on my web site www.brianhartnett.com

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