Brian Hubble – Crafting Dreams and Dualities in Modern Art
A Dialogue Through Drawing Using a Range of Materials
Artist Brian Hubble blends fine detail with surreal, expressive imagery, using image-transfer techniques to create pieces that explore nostalgia, performance, and the unexpected. His work invites contemplation through poetic contrasts.
Brian Hubble’s artistic journey reads as a tapestry woven from his explorations across continents, styles, and mediums. Rooted in the diverse energy of Brooklyn, New York, for over two decades, Hubble’s work carries a deeply reflective quality, channeling experiences from his stints in Italy and Chicago. His art has graced respected spaces like the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago and MoMA PS1, while his unique interpretations have been highlighted in the New York Times, Taschen Books, and Print Magazine. Hubble’s artistry invites viewers into his meditative creative space, where images blend and transform, balancing meticulous detail with bold, surreal contrast.
Hubble’s art captivates with its emotional depth and technical mastery, weaving past and present into visionary pieces that redefine artistic boundaries.
An artist with a dedication to defying convention, Hubble’s work radiates both intimacy and complexity. He navigates striking contrasts—fine detail meets cartoon simplicity, historical iconography mingles with the everyday, and nostalgia layers itself upon modern reinterpretations. Hubble’s distinctive image-transfer techniques and reverence for process elevate each piece, cultivating a “dreamy uneasiness” that lingers in the viewer’s mind. Here, in this exclusive WOWwArt Magazine interview, Hubble shares insights into his world of contradictions, process, and performance—revealing an artist as thoughtful as his creations are unforgettable.
“As a longtime admirer of Robert Rauschenberg’s work, I have always been fascinated by the various techniques for creating image transfers… This multi-step process allows me to slowly manipulate volume and stillness within the piece.” – Brian Hubble
Can you describe how your early experiences with drawing have shaped your current artistic practice?
My earliest memory is of my mother patiently teaching me to draw a spider web when I was five. That experience sparked my curiosity and inspired me to try drawing something more complex, like our family pets or a face. Once I explored those subjects, I felt the need to return to something more immediate, which often manifested as hasty scribbles or crayon markings. These impulsive drawings held as much significance for me as the “harder” pieces. Years later, as an art student, this ebb and flow became a driving force in my work. I was always interested in creating artworks that serve as a rebuttal to those that came before, both in timing and content. I still work this way today.
You mention the use of image transfers in your work. How has this technique evolved over time, and what does it add to your creative process?
As a longtime admirer of Robert Rauschenberg’s work, I have always been fascinated by the various techniques for creating image transfers. My version is quick and inexpensive. I print on silicone coated release paper—typically discarded after peeling off envelope labels or stickers. Its surface has just enough coating to retain the printed image yet pliable enough for an effective transfer onto clean paper. I photograph the most successful transfers and refine them as single images in post-production software before integrating them into an overall composition. This method is repeated for every element of a piece until it is nearly exhausted into completion. At this point, an ultraviolet print of the composition is made onto a large sheet of canvas. I work on top of the print with graphite, colored pencils, oil, and pastels. I intentionally leave select areas in their UV print form, exposing colorful yet disquieting backgrounds. This multi-step process allows me to slowly manipulate volume and stillness within the piece.
Your drawings exhibit a blend of laborious detailing and cartoon flatness. How do you navigate this balance, and what do you hope to convey through these contrasts?
Deciding whether to make a detailed drawing or something quicker depends on the subject at hand, and how previous pieces were created. My next concern is the interaction between each drawing and the surrounding images. I’m constantly tweaking because, for me, one of the joys of being an artist is form discovery. I hope that the forms in my work poetically mingle with tension. I want to share the weary yet hopeful, meditative space I fall into while creating them.
You discuss creating a sense of “dreamy uneasiness” in your work. What specific techniques do you employ to achieve this effect?
I believe contradictions play a crucial role in dreams—an idea I keep in mind when merging original and classical imagery. I collage appropriated art historical figures such as cherubs and charmers, with curious animals and saturated flowers. I assign both familiar and surprising surfaces to the images I draw and paint. For instance, multiple layers of colored pencils can render skin with the translucent quality of marble. Graphite lends drawings of filing cabinets the chill of cold metal, while a combination of materials imparts a warm patina to wood. Illogical yet nuanced scenes feature recurring elements like orbs, rainbows, and patterned landscapes, which blur the line between representation and abstraction.
Your exhibition on Andy Kaufman explores the intersection of art and performance. How do you see your own work reflecting or challenging traditional notions of performance art?
We may someday need to have a separate interview about my time with Andy Kaufman and the exhibition I organized at the Museum of the Moving Image! I spent 16 years studying everything in Andy’s world and cherish the friendship I developed with his family during that time in my life. While I experimented with performance art in graduate school, I have since transitioned to a hermetic studio practice. Although I wouldn’t say there’s a direct line from performance art to the paintings and drawings I’m making now, I like to think that a bit of Andy’s spirit is woven into them from time to time.
What role do you believe nostalgia plays in your art, particularly when you incorporate drawings from 20 years ago with your current work?
Incorporating work I made in the past with newer pieces has led to unexpected breakthroughs. When reviewing my previous works, I don’t feel a sense of the past or longing for what once was. At the time of making them, I probably didn’t fully grasp how they might function down the road. I may have felt they were complete, but perhaps I was mistaken—I’m not entirely sure. I’m interested in introducing them to recent images to hopefully produce something surprising and genuine as a result. Many of these experiments fail, of course, but I suppose the idea is to fail a bit less with each attempt.
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