Check Out Eric Hagan’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Hagan.

Hi Eric, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was raised in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. I come from a family of artists and have never deviated from my intentions as a child to live off of my creativity. I received a degree from SUNY Potsdam in creative writing in 2015. I then proceeded to spend the following four years as a volunteer, first with Americorps NCCC, then on to rural Zambia, where I spent 3 years as a Peacecorps volunteer. In that small village my creativity proved to be a true asset and I absorbed some of the resilience, cunning and awe inducing work ethic on display by my community. Upon my return to America, I relocated to Washington D.C. with my now wife, Jessica, and dove blindly into my mission of breaking into the art scene. I fell flat on my face. Eight months later, I managed to quit the landscaping job I was forced to get and tried again. This time, it seemed to stick. I shared the journey of pursing my dream on Reddit through a series of viral posts and was able to propel my career ahead, riding that wave of attention. I have had 18 exhibitions in the past four years, showing my work around the country.
I owe this success not to any supernatural talent, but simple hard work. I found myself in the beautiful city of Denver, showcasing my latest installation at Spectra Art Space because of that hustle I learned in Zambia. My road to the mile high city was paved by a thousand emails. I would like to personally thank the team at Spectra for being open hearted enough to welcome this stranger to their amazing establishment.
I now live in New York City, pursing my dream with my wonderful, supportive, loving wife. I live entirely off of my artwork.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The life of a freelance artist is similar in someways to being a Paleolithic hunter-gatherer. The first several years were the lean times, every sale I made was interpreted only by how much time it afforded me before the dream would be forced to a halt by economic pressures. Tied to the monetary anxieties was a withering of confidence as well. The pursuit of this lifestyle truly is a marathon, and it was often a challenge to keep that flame of hope alive while slogging through the hard times. For the first two years I managed only to scrape rent together at the last minute, wrenching the last few dollars from the jaws of defeat. I lived in a thirty day cycle, making art every day just to cover the bills for that month. After wandering the wastes for two years surviving on meager morsels, I landed my first big windfall, my first mammoth. With the sudden successes this career occasionally doles out come surges of excitement and vindication. These highs rekindle the flame and steel the resolve to keep marching forward through the uncertain times.
The feast or famine lifestyle can be daunting, emotionally and physically, but I wouldn’t live any other way.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I have been developing my style of ink illustration for 18 years. When I first stumbled upon this style I was barely a teenager, yet I felt in the core of my being that I was onto something. It was as if a lightening bolt struck my body, my hair stood on end, and I knew that this weird form of automatic art-making would be the biggest driving force of my life. Obsessively, I continued to explore this style of weaving faces and found my voice as an artist. My art is intended to act as a mirror to the self, a psychological thumbprint projected back at the viewer. No two people will see the same thing, and no one person will see the same thing twice. The image relies on the pattern recognition abilities of the audience to be completed, what comes to the forefront is a projection of the individual onlooker’s mind. I think of my work as more psychological than psychedelic, but welcome all who appreciate it. Several years ago I began experimenting with using my technique of weaving faces as a texture. I began creating immersive installations by turning my drawings into wallpaper, allowing guests to step inside a chamber of shifting faces. My first installation went viral on reddit and garnered millions of views. I relentlessly seek new venues that allow me to build installations and have recalibrated my focus toward creating these experiences. This is how my magic blue room ended up at Spectra Art Space.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Make three lists. It sounds overly simple, but it is a tactic that has aided me since the Peacecorps. 1. “What do I have?” 2. “Who wants it?” 3 “Ways to present it to those who might want it.” Be bold, hustle, and never get complacent about your work. It can get better, seek to improve it indefinitely. Explore what calls to you, follow your interests. And most importantly, live life. Experience bleeds into your work, live a vibrant, exciting life and your art will become a reflection of that. Get out of your comfort zone, be kind to yourself and have fun.

Contact Info:

• Website: erichaganart.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/eric_hagan_art
• Other: reddit.com/u/tandizojere