Meet Jeffrey Hirst of Jeffrey Hirst Studio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeffrey Hirst.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
When I was young, I liked to build things out of wood: forts, rafts, cars, etc. I was influenced by my Dad, an engineer who built things in his full wood shop in our basement, so he was like a mentor to me. This later informed how I approached artwork in general. I currently think of myself more as a builder than a painter.

When I was young, my parents took us to the Art Institute of Chicago where I was exposed to all sorts of art. I remember seeing Pop Art for the first time and it left a big impression on me. When I went to college, I started taking ceramic classes and soon changed my major from marketing to art. When I told my Mother this, she cried. I continued taking art classes and completed a BFA at the University of Minnesota.

I was fortunate enough to have a printmaking mentor, Jerald Krepps, who influenced my work greatly. Process became an intuitive part of my work. It was very experimental and carried over to my work to this day. I also was painting at the time with acrylics and oils. Later I completed my MFA at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge in Printmaking with a minor in Painting.

Today, my work involves painting, printmaking, and sculpture. My paintings are hand-built shaped panels that I believe represent fragments. They are painted with encaustic paint. In my recent work, I am interested in architectural ideas and how architecture influences and informs us as a society. Living in Chicago, with such significant contemporary American architecture is a wonderful source for my work.

I also continue to make prints. My printmaking influences how I make paintings as I use a lot of printmaking ideas within my painting. For example, I screen print onto paintings and intaglio wipe painting surfaces.

This fall, I will further my printmaking experiments at an artist fellowship that I was recently awarded at Ballinglen Arts Foundation in Ireland. This will be my first time in that country and I’m looking forward to the experience.

I am honored to be represented by Addington Gallery in Chicago’s River North Arts District. Seasoned gallery owner Dan Addington is great to work with as he is very knowledgeable about painting and visual arts in general. He has a sophisticated eye that mirrors that of his clientele.

I am also represented by Brandt Roberts Gallery in Columbus, Ohio. Michele Brandt, the gallery owner, is a highly accomplished business professional with an outstanding gallery that I am very pleased to be a part of.

Most recently, I have begun showing my work with Water Street Gallery in Douglas, MI where I look forward to being a part of an exhibition, First Things First, which opens in May.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I tell people that being an artist is the most flexible 90 hour a week job that you’ll ever have. I teach painting, printmaking and sculpture workshops at my studio in Bridgeport and other venues around the United States and Europe. Creating and teaching art over the course of my life has been a balancing act with life’s other responsibilities that has required finesse and planning.

I have a wonderful grown son that I’m very proud of who lives here in Chicago. I’m lucky to be near him. The artist’s life is not always easy, but it’s incredibly rewarding and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to pursue that which I love in a city that means so much to me.

Jeffrey Hirst Studio – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I teach painting, printmaking and sculpture workshops at my studio in Chicago’s Bridgeport Art Center and other national locales. I also coordinate visiting artists to come in and teach here from around the country. Students have referred to me as an outstanding teacher and some have said that my workshops come from the best classes they’ve taken.

I’m proud that I have been a working artist for 30+ years and that I have continued to make work and evolve as an artist. I’m grateful to have my partner Helen Dannelly to work and teach within the studio and to share our lives as artists.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success to me is being represented by excellent galleries and having the opportunity to show and sell my work while continuing to experiment and grow as an artist. I also define success as being able to share my knowledge with others.

Pricing:

• Paintings range from $950 – $10,000
• Prints range from $400 – $1000

Contact Info:

• Address: 1200 W. 35th Street Studio 3120
  Chicago, IL 60609
• Website: www.jeffreyhirst.com
• Phone: 612-414-3030
• Email: jeff@jeffreyhirst.com
• Instagram: Jeffrey Hirst
• Facebook: Jeff Hirst

Image Credit:
Tom Van Eynde

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