Meet The Uncrowned King of New York's Lowbrow Art Scene
David Hochbaum is a New York-based artist whose work seeks to create a contemporary mythological language via which we can better understand the intricacies of the modern world. Using a wide variety of media he marries both the contemporary and the antiquated in surreal landscapes that are loaded with deeply personal symbolism.
Dazed Digital: what informs your artistic process?
David Hochbaum: It’s hard to say. I like to work in so many different media. Most of my work starts from a sketch or a line of text.
DD: What do you enjoy about the medium of collage?
DH: I like the spontaneity of collage. I love layering and texture. Collage allows me to incorporate different types of imagery and styles in one piece.
DD: Why do women feature so heavily in your work?
DH: The female is the source of ultimate truth and beauty. She is the genesis of all life.
DD: Can you talk us through Come For Me?
DH: For me, the house on fire in this landscape represents the soul or stability of mind and body. The woman in the clouds is fanning the flames with her breath. She is the wind keeping the fire alive.
DD: How do you usually approach a piece of work?
DH: My process starts with drawings, which are then turned into photographs that I then layer more on top of. For the most part, I already know what is going to go down on the canvas when I approach a new piece.
DD: Are you heavily influenced by classical literature?
DH: I am a big fan of literature. I know I cannot write well so I create a narrative through a visual medium. I love folklore and myth and the description and explanation of the forces of nature through symbolism and tales.
DD:If a symbol is like a lit fuse what is it seeking to ignite?
DH: The truth.
