Interview

Mar 23

Lincoln Howard

Lincoln was born in Vancouver, Canada on February 23, 1970, and currently resides in Surrey, British Columbia

He’s an intuitive artist who’s created his style and process through trial and error. Lincoln incorporate a grid pattern in his art, with the grid representing the matrix of our lives—the many twists and turns, and the millions of decisions we make that shape our lives.

Lincoln is always amazed at each piece when he’s finished it, wondering how he did it.

What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?

“I started making art late in life. Even though I wasn’t producing art when I was younger, I always had an interest in collecting it. It wasn’t until 2018, after my wife suggested we take an acrylic painting class, that I got into painting. I haven’t stopped painting since.
I was immediately drawn to abstract art. I like the freedom and physicality of abstraction—being able to make large, layered, colorful marks on the canvas. I dived into abstract expressionism and the art of the painters of that period. My work is greatly inspired by that era and those artists, especially Rothko, Pollock, Kline, Newman, and the dramatic paintings of Clifford Still. I love the drama and emotion that comes through in their art.”

What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues?

“I haven’t ventured deep into political art so far, but I do have some art I want to create on different topics. I live near Vancouver and there’s a very bad drug addiction issue in parts of the city. I want to do some paintings and sculptures regarding the drug problems I see daily in the downtown neighborhoods. I also think I have a number of things to say about religion and politics with my art.
I want people to feel something when they see my images. However, it’s not always about saying something directly to the viewers. Abstraction can be everything and nothing; it’s about the feeling the viewer gets when they look at the piece.”

Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?

“I have lots of paintings in my mind already planned out, and they just stay there until it’s time for me to create them. They come to me in a day-like state. I see them in my mind and plan them out, just like making a blueprint. I change the composition and colors, adding and subtracting things until I’m happy with the painting. Then I’m compelled to paint it, and that’s when the physical process starts.
Where I improvise is with the colors. I let the painting, my intuition, and my imagination guide me during the application. I’ve a general idea of the colors, but it sometimes changes during the application of the paint, depending on my mood at the time.”

Are there any art world trends you are following?

“The art that most inspires me is abstract expression, which emerged in the 1950s. I don’t really follow any current trends. I do however follow lots of galleries and artists on Instagram, and watch lots of YouTube videos about art.
I’ve never been a trendy person. I just know what I like when it comes to art. I also get ideas from the images I’m consuming on social media, and in books and magazines. If anything, I’m digging into the past and being inspired by past trends and artists. I’ve recently become interested in Dan Flavin’s work, and want to experiment with incorporating fluorescent light fixtures into my paintings. My works have lots of fluorescent paint in them, and a black light incorporated into the painting would have a cool effect.”

“The look and feel of the art piece changes depending on the angle it’s viewed at.
My art is usually quite layered. I want the viewer to see it from far away, from close up, and from different angles, to get a complete picture of what I’ve created.”

What process, materials and techniques do you use to create your artwork?

“My process starts with a base painting, usually multicolored. The base then gets my grid pattern. 99% of my paintings have a grid pattern in them. I apply most of my paint with a pallet knife or large trowel, combining and blending the paint as I go. A brush is used later in the process.
I like to use a special paste that gives my art a sculptural texture effect; a 3D effect. I refer to my art sometimes as sculptural paintings. I also like to use found objects like shattered glass, mirrors, disco ball mirrors, beads, and the like, and you’ll find lots of glitter and glow in the dark paint. I feel the glow-in-the-dark paint gives the painting life because it exists and lives even in the dark.”

What does your art mean to you?

“My art is a personal expression of an aesthetic that appeals to me and that I want to create. It’s all my experiences and feelings going through me and coming out onto the canvas. The universe, emotions, and intuition guide me to create the art that I make.
Creating art is also a therapeutic compulsion. If I’m not making art, I start to really crave the process and start to get a little squirrely. Art provides me with a therapeutic release.”

What’s your favorite artwork and why?

“My favorite artwork is usually the one I’m working on at the moment. I do, however, have a couple of pieces that aren’t for sale; smaller pieces that I made a few years ago. All's Well That Ends Well is one of them. I love it because of the colors I used then. I’ve never been able to recreate those colors.
The other painting is called Infested. It isn’t typical of my style, and I just like it because it’s different from most of my other paintings.”

Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?

“Being an abstract expressionist fan, it was always a dream of mine to show my work in New York. That is why the 2021 group show called Flight Of The Butterfly held at Van Der Plas Galley in New York was so meaningful to me.
I’ve also had a couple of my paintings published in Spain in the book Guto Ajayu Culture Book Art Anthology 5.
I’ll be having my first solo show this summer at Art@ Bentall Gallery Vancouver.”