Meet HC Warner | Painter/ Curator /Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with HC Warner and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi HC, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The most critical direction is to follow your heart and clamp tight on your intuition. In 1991, I started as a waiter at Mick’s Underground following my BFA in Graphic Design at University of Georgia.
In my opinion the restaurant industry was an incredible opportunity to socially read people and attempt to open conversation.
Everything is connected and eventually comes back around for another visit.

I dropped some loot on a Quadra 840AV through an Apple loan to tweak my design skills and learn the software. Somehow landed a gig as a designer for t-shirts and miscellaneous souvenir shops for airport shops. It truly set the pace…heavy illustration…celebrating escapism to amusement parks and resorts. Design unfolded a path to work for the 1996 Olympics…Alternative Apparel and finally a short term with Turner/Adult Swim.

I was having elevated blood pressure issues working in this industry which ultimately lead to a life change in 2001.

I had taken one amazing painting class in college and absolutely loved my High School art teacher. Judith McWillie and Angela Cronon set this “primitive” art form in motion.

A therapeutic side hustle producing and curating shows was in the works starting in 1991. Moved to a massive warehouse in Castleberry Hill…and started producing group installations while keeping the day job.

Ten years in “training”…the doors officially opened for an escape from the daily grind.
Maureen Kalmansen offered a plan to infiltrate a brick and mortar gallery in Buckhead. The agreement was to cover menu and ad design for the assorted Peasant Restaurant chain.

Hyperthermic for the first 6 months in the new space but I finally caught my breath.
Several group projects existed in the past…”The Local”…BOA Gallery…Tongue & Groove “Art Changes” were all in the background and I was obsessed and officially addicted.
Possibly the hardest most rewarding gig I will ever experience…it changed EVERY element in my life.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Nothing in the art world comes easy….and subsequently highly important that you love it like nothing else. Upon finding myself in the trenches I wanted to somehow express cathartic details without complete regurge. The bees were introduced since it was a similar routine where I would remind myself to face or embrace your fears.

I was highly allergic to bees and possibly was used to constantly being attacked or stung followed by frequent trips to the hospital. I sort of developed that mentality with many of my life choices…always to push the envelope and create a world of fear and love. Two of the most prominent feelings while walking this planet.
The bees became my muse as I began a new relationship with fear and somehow switched the dial to love.

Mentally it worked….I began to communicate and build trust in a strange Dr. Doolittle kind of way.

In 1992 the “Fear and Love” theme first made it to an apparel line with the image tagged with the verbiage…”Adrenaline”. Very successful start…which clearly paved the way to monkeys…parasites…and even chairs.
Overall I have always felt that everything is interconnected…people,animals,plants…dirt. Everything ultimately will be dirt and hopefully evolve. The monkey parody was to express that our differences were necessary and create a whole…circle…or in this case a sphere.

I was obsessed with destiny and numbers…which constantly echo throughout each series. Weather…environment…music…friends…food all play a part in filtering what sort of story will unfold.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Atlanta is changing on so many levels…. It all depends on the visitor and what sort of experience I might push.

Food and Music are top priority

I love a walk from my home to Little 5 Points….catching a bite at the Wrecking Bar and a good show at the Variety Playhouse.

Star Bar and the Earl are both great dives for some educational Mayberry madness.

I am passionately religious about all types of food…Dekalb Farmers Market is possibly the ultimate shopping adventure if you wanna test your cooking skills or intensely seeking the perfect filet of fish for the fryer.

I go through waves of obsessive dining adventures…Buford Highway Asian cuisine…to some of the best bbq and fried chicken.

Regular Rotation…I have a love affair with Gus’s…Hai…Po Boy Shop…Los Brasas …and Fox Brothers to name a few. The list of good eats is endless.

Always a good day to hit a couple good thrift stores…uncover tons of treasures.

The Center for Puppetry Arts always seems to get the juices flowing…All ages…everyone needs to experience this enchanted think tank.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
UGA Film class with James Herbert…put the pressure on to play with a new medium.
I signed up to “watch” film but never create…His challenge to work with Super 8 blew my mind!

Painting class with Judith McWillie was turbulent and overwhelming with the best possible outcome I could ever expect.
She honored me with a show following her class exhibiting my first seven large scale paintings..

Maureen Kalmanson harnessed my light and enthusiasm with human interaction.
She has a way with turning everything into gold and enabling countless others to develop to their full potential. Never would have happened without her kick in my ass!

Angela Cronon….Norcross High School…Her infectious smile always ensured that you were in the right place. My infamous sideways signature came out of her class in 1985 due too always composing with balance from every angle.

Website: www.hcwarner.com

Instagram: @chimpywimpy

Facebook: www.facebook.com/alcovearts

Other: Munkeytown.com

Image Credits
Louis Paez,Jr