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Man of 1,000 faces
Filed in: Website Interview | Artcreations.com
Man of 1,000 faces
Kevin Bate made a big splash with his Samuel L. Jackson mural. Now his portraits of the famous (and infamous) are popping up on walls all over Chattanooga
By Bill Ramsey | September 2011
From the “In the Studio” artist profile series
art-creations.com
Chattanooga artist Kevin Bate is the proverbial overnight sensation, only 40 years in the making. When his mural of Chattanooga-bred actor Samuel L. Jackson appeared earlier this year on the wall of a downtown building scheduled to be demolished as part of the Disco Demolition Project, Bate gained instant notoriety in the local media and his work sparked an informal campaign to honor the star (or have Jackson honor Chattanooga with his presence). Whether or not Jackson returns, Bate has been the beneficiary of excellent media exposure resulting in numerous commissions, including a 25-foot mural portrait of Bessie Smith at the new music venue Track 29 and a rendering of the famed St. Pauli Girl at the new Brewhaus on Frazier Ave, among others. Not bad for a lifelong artist who sold his first work ever this summer.
While Bate has always been an artist, he hasn't always been a muralist focused on iconic pop culture images. "My earlier work was more about graphic design, very intense pencil and pen-and-ink, hyper realistic stuff," he says, reckoning the commercial potential would be the key to a career as an artist. When that didn't work out, Bate put away his pens and pencils to concentrate on making a living. A decade later, Bate says it took his mother's prodding to "get him off the couch" and back in the studio. "She was asking me why I didn't paint anymore," he says. "So, I started working on my art again. I was kind of secretive about it and it took a while to find a style and an idea to work with, but when I finally hit on it, I realized I had something." Bate debuted his first work to his wife, a portrait of Frankenstein's monster in his now-signature high-contrast style, and got positive reviews. The next critic? His father, who was awed by the work's photo-realistic quality. "He looked at me, looked at the painting, looked back at me," recalls Bate with a laugh. "I told him I thought I'd found a style that was cool and worth pursing, and he said, 'Yes, I think so!"
During our interview for the first installment of "In the Studio," I found Bate a thoughtful, charming guy with an easy-going manner and a sharp wit. He's genuinely surprised — and delighted — with the attention paid to his work and with commissions rolling in, he's feeling confident about his future making a living as an artist full-time.
What part of the creative process do you find most exciting or engaging?
When I'm looking through old photographs and the perfect one steps up and slaps me across the face and says, “It's me. You're looking for me.” It's enough to make me call my wife in to show it to her and to stop work on the painting of the last pic that slapped me so that I can start on the new painting immediately.
What part of the creative process do you find most stressful?
I paint from light to dark, mixing as I go, always in one pail. This usually means that I don't get to the defining features — eyes, mouth, hair, the shadow under the nose — until the very end. Sometimes it is very hard to tell if a painting (especially a large one, like a mural, on the side of a building where everyone can see!) is going to come out right. Early on, it can be very stressful.
How do you make the choice of the manner and the materials you use in your work?
I started off painting with what I had around the house and in my workshop: luan panels, 1x2 supports, latex paint, big fat carpenter pencils. The subjects were pictures I'd seen and liked. I've been keeping a file for a while.
Do you render sketches or an underpainting before you begin a project?
Sketches definitely. I couldn't do what I'm doing without a few layers of sketches. Underpaintings usually only happen in murals and then they are really just a way of leaving notes for myself. Like, “If, when you get to this shape, it's not this dark, you need to go back and darken up the last three tones.” Or, “Don't forget that these two lines need to be really crisp. No cheating with a feathery brushstroke.” Weird, but it keeps me on track.
Have you completed works that you find difficult to part with, and if so, why?
When I was younger, I was very hesitant to part with my work. I still have almost everything I did in high school and college. But now, something has changed. I like the idea of pieces leaving me to go off and live elsewhere. And, don't tell anyone this, but not only did the destruction of the “Al” mural and the impending doom of “Samuel” not bother me, I actually think it's kind of cool. I've heard other artists say this. I can't explain it.
Tell me how you create a new work — the process, the materials, the worktable, your timetable.
I usually stumble across some cool pic and it goes from there. Next, a couple of rounds of sketching. Even on my smaller paintings I usually print an acetate to project so I can see how an image will layout on the panel. Sometimes I have to do this a few times until I get the composition right. Then I sketch out the shapes onto the panel and then paint. I paint with my drawing table flat, which everyone thinks is weird. But, that's how I do it. Again, going from light to dark, mixing each color in the same pail as I go.
What types and varieties of materials do you use?
I think I've used almost every type of brush made. I like a higher quality one-inch brush for murals. I don't skimp on these. They're the difference between a good line and a bad one. Sometimes I'll use a ½-inch round for getting into mortar joints. On really big murals, like Track 29, I'll use a four-inch foam roller on the background when I can. For my smaller paintings, I haven't really found a favorite brand or type of brush. It's got to be natural bristles, though.
Can you share any tips or techniques you've discovered?
If you're painting, buy the best brushes that you can afford and take care of them. The time and frustration you'll save with good brushes make them worth it. My art teacher in high school had us use liquid hand soap (the kind with moisturizers) to wash brushes and told us that the bristles were hair and had to be conditioned if we wanted the brush to last. Wash them well, sling or spin out the water and pull the bristles back into a point (on a round brush) or a chisel point (on flat brush) using the tips of your fingers and let them dry that way. This will keep the bristles from spreading and leaving little side trails when you paint. To speed brush cleanup, dip your brush in whatever you're using to thin your paint (water for acrylics, mineral spirits or linseed oil, whatever, for oils) before you even start painting and shake out the excess. The thinner will work it's way into the brush and make it easier to clean when it's time, especially around the ferrule. My dad taught me this.
How much has the computer impacted your work?
For murals it's a huge timesaver. It allows me to print sketches and thumbnails onto acetates to project onto the wall. In high school and art school, we would have to graph off our sketches, make a corresponding graph on whatever we were drawing on and transfer it over. I guess I could still summon the skill if I had to, but no one would pay me for that time. The computer and printer have helped me be much more cost efficient on the business end.
How large is your studio, and what do you like most about the physical space?
My studio is a converted workshop/storage shed in my backyard. It was 10' x 12', but my Dad and I took out a wall and added 40 more square feet to it in the spring. I love that it's outside and open to the elements (most of the year, at least). My dog, Mel, wanders in from time to time. My wife will come in with the baby for a garden tool or some potting soil. But when I need the time to focus and concentrate, I can still close the door and have the space to myself.
Do you prefer to work in the quiet, or with music or other sounds in the air?
Music, music, music — all the time. I try to match the mood of the music to the time of day. If it's light out, it's uptempo, anywhere from The Clash and Ramones to Kasabian and Eagles of Death Metal. At night, it's Morphine and Miles Davis to ... I don't know, XX and Fever Ray. If I'm working on a painting of a musician, I'll work a lot of their stuff into the playlist. Hank Williams Sr. was great. Bessie Smith kept me company many nights at Track 29.
What words of encouragement or wisdom would you like to share with amateur and/or emerging artists?
A couple of things: There are plenty of people out there willing to stomp on your dreams; don't be one of them. If you are inspired, follow it. Work it. Make it happen. Also, have multiple skills. Dreams don't happen over night. Look at me; I'll be 40 this month. I would have starved three times already if I hadn't had some other viable skills. Find something you can do during the day to put mac and cheese on the table while you paint (or draw, or sculpt, or compose, or play or act) nights and weekends. Oh, and don't smoke — that shit'll kill you and it's expensive.
Kevin Bate | Facebook
Age: 40 this month
Birthplace: San Francisco
I first knew I was an artist when: Grade school when my second grade teacher sent home an assignment for me to redo because I had colored outside of the boxes we were supposed to fill neatly. How's that for molding and shaping young minds! Good work there, Ms. Bearden.
The greatest influence on my work has been: Lately, Chuck Close. I stumbled on a book about him recently and it's what made me try my hand at faces. I'd never liked portraiture because I was taught that it had to be done in a certain, very traditional way. His worked showed me there were several ways you could do faces and make them astounding. One way, of course, was to paint very large.
Chattanooga inspires me because: With apologies to Vince Vaughn: “This town is so money and doesn't even know it.” I think that Chattanooga is on the verge of a huge leap forward. There is so much going on now in art and music and food in this town. We have new blood moving in every day. All the possibilities excite me. I want to experience and be a part of each of them.
My proudest moment as an artist: When people get real excited about a piece I've done, especially when they've just found out that I painted it. It happened a couple of times at Track 29's pre-opening. It's a huge ego boost.
I'm working on: A series of five (maybe six) 19' x 25' murals for Track 29; a proposal for the city for a sculpture based on my paintings; a mini Leslie Jordan mural for the Discoteca Demolition Project; and raising my 5-month-old son. All four are quite challenging and exciting.
Kevin Bate made a big splash with his Samuel L. Jackson mural. Now his portraits of the famous (and infamous) are popping up on walls all over Chattanooga
By Bill Ramsey | September 2011
From the “In the Studio” artist profile series
art-creations.com
Chattanooga artist Kevin Bate is the proverbial overnight sensation, only 40 years in the making. When his mural of Chattanooga-bred actor Samuel L. Jackson appeared earlier this year on the wall of a downtown building scheduled to be demolished as part of the Disco Demolition Project, Bate gained instant notoriety in the local media and his work sparked an informal campaign to honor the star (or have Jackson honor Chattanooga with his presence). Whether or not Jackson returns, Bate has been the beneficiary of excellent media exposure resulting in numerous commissions, including a 25-foot mural portrait of Bessie Smith at the new music venue Track 29 and a rendering of the famed St. Pauli Girl at the new Brewhaus on Frazier Ave, among others. Not bad for a lifelong artist who sold his first work ever this summer.
During our interview for the first installment of "In the Studio," I found Bate a thoughtful, charming guy with an easy-going manner and a sharp wit. He's genuinely surprised — and delighted — with the attention paid to his work and with commissions rolling in, he's feeling confident about his future making a living as an artist full-time.
What part of the creative process do you find most exciting or engaging?
When I'm looking through old photographs and the perfect one steps up and slaps me across the face and says, “It's me. You're looking for me.” It's enough to make me call my wife in to show it to her and to stop work on the painting of the last pic that slapped me so that I can start on the new painting immediately.
What part of the creative process do you find most stressful?
I paint from light to dark, mixing as I go, always in one pail. This usually means that I don't get to the defining features — eyes, mouth, hair, the shadow under the nose — until the very end. Sometimes it is very hard to tell if a painting (especially a large one, like a mural, on the side of a building where everyone can see!) is going to come out right. Early on, it can be very stressful.
How do you make the choice of the manner and the materials you use in your work?
I started off painting with what I had around the house and in my workshop: luan panels, 1x2 supports, latex paint, big fat carpenter pencils. The subjects were pictures I'd seen and liked. I've been keeping a file for a while.
Do you render sketches or an underpainting before you begin a project?
Sketches definitely. I couldn't do what I'm doing without a few layers of sketches. Underpaintings usually only happen in murals and then they are really just a way of leaving notes for myself. Like, “If, when you get to this shape, it's not this dark, you need to go back and darken up the last three tones.” Or, “Don't forget that these two lines need to be really crisp. No cheating with a feathery brushstroke.” Weird, but it keeps me on track.
Have you completed works that you find difficult to part with, and if so, why?
When I was younger, I was very hesitant to part with my work. I still have almost everything I did in high school and college. But now, something has changed. I like the idea of pieces leaving me to go off and live elsewhere. And, don't tell anyone this, but not only did the destruction of the “Al” mural and the impending doom of “Samuel” not bother me, I actually think it's kind of cool. I've heard other artists say this. I can't explain it.
Tell me how you create a new work — the process, the materials, the worktable, your timetable.
I usually stumble across some cool pic and it goes from there. Next, a couple of rounds of sketching. Even on my smaller paintings I usually print an acetate to project so I can see how an image will layout on the panel. Sometimes I have to do this a few times until I get the composition right. Then I sketch out the shapes onto the panel and then paint. I paint with my drawing table flat, which everyone thinks is weird. But, that's how I do it. Again, going from light to dark, mixing each color in the same pail as I go.
What types and varieties of materials do you use?
I think I've used almost every type of brush made. I like a higher quality one-inch brush for murals. I don't skimp on these. They're the difference between a good line and a bad one. Sometimes I'll use a ½-inch round for getting into mortar joints. On really big murals, like Track 29, I'll use a four-inch foam roller on the background when I can. For my smaller paintings, I haven't really found a favorite brand or type of brush. It's got to be natural bristles, though.
Can you share any tips or techniques you've discovered?
If you're painting, buy the best brushes that you can afford and take care of them. The time and frustration you'll save with good brushes make them worth it. My art teacher in high school had us use liquid hand soap (the kind with moisturizers) to wash brushes and told us that the bristles were hair and had to be conditioned if we wanted the brush to last. Wash them well, sling or spin out the water and pull the bristles back into a point (on a round brush) or a chisel point (on flat brush) using the tips of your fingers and let them dry that way. This will keep the bristles from spreading and leaving little side trails when you paint. To speed brush cleanup, dip your brush in whatever you're using to thin your paint (water for acrylics, mineral spirits or linseed oil, whatever, for oils) before you even start painting and shake out the excess. The thinner will work it's way into the brush and make it easier to clean when it's time, especially around the ferrule. My dad taught me this.
How much has the computer impacted your work?
How large is your studio, and what do you like most about the physical space?
My studio is a converted workshop/storage shed in my backyard. It was 10' x 12', but my Dad and I took out a wall and added 40 more square feet to it in the spring. I love that it's outside and open to the elements (most of the year, at least). My dog, Mel, wanders in from time to time. My wife will come in with the baby for a garden tool or some potting soil. But when I need the time to focus and concentrate, I can still close the door and have the space to myself.
Do you prefer to work in the quiet, or with music or other sounds in the air?
Music, music, music — all the time. I try to match the mood of the music to the time of day. If it's light out, it's uptempo, anywhere from The Clash and Ramones to Kasabian and Eagles of Death Metal. At night, it's Morphine and Miles Davis to ... I don't know, XX and Fever Ray. If I'm working on a painting of a musician, I'll work a lot of their stuff into the playlist. Hank Williams Sr. was great. Bessie Smith kept me company many nights at Track 29.
What words of encouragement or wisdom would you like to share with amateur and/or emerging artists?
A couple of things: There are plenty of people out there willing to stomp on your dreams; don't be one of them. If you are inspired, follow it. Work it. Make it happen. Also, have multiple skills. Dreams don't happen over night. Look at me; I'll be 40 this month. I would have starved three times already if I hadn't had some other viable skills. Find something you can do during the day to put mac and cheese on the table while you paint (or draw, or sculpt, or compose, or play or act) nights and weekends. Oh, and don't smoke — that shit'll kill you and it's expensive.
Kevin Bate | Facebook
Age: 40 this month
Birthplace: San Francisco
I first knew I was an artist when: Grade school when my second grade teacher sent home an assignment for me to redo because I had colored outside of the boxes we were supposed to fill neatly. How's that for molding and shaping young minds! Good work there, Ms. Bearden.
The greatest influence on my work has been: Lately, Chuck Close. I stumbled on a book about him recently and it's what made me try my hand at faces. I'd never liked portraiture because I was taught that it had to be done in a certain, very traditional way. His worked showed me there were several ways you could do faces and make them astounding. One way, of course, was to paint very large.
Chattanooga inspires me because: With apologies to Vince Vaughn: “This town is so money and doesn't even know it.” I think that Chattanooga is on the verge of a huge leap forward. There is so much going on now in art and music and food in this town. We have new blood moving in every day. All the possibilities excite me. I want to experience and be a part of each of them.
My proudest moment as an artist: When people get real excited about a piece I've done, especially when they've just found out that I painted it. It happened a couple of times at Track 29's pre-opening. It's a huge ego boost.
I'm working on: A series of five (maybe six) 19' x 25' murals for Track 29; a proposal for the city for a sculpture based on my paintings; a mini Leslie Jordan mural for the Discoteca Demolition Project; and raising my 5-month-old son. All four are quite challenging and exciting.