Chase Langford is an Artist who was born in Michigan and now lives in Los Angeles. Chase is well-known for his paintings that are inspired by geography and maps. Influenced by the maps, he created canvases with flurries of colors, and abstract shapes and these works have earned him exhibitions across the United States and internationally. His art has also been featured in the Long Beach Museum of Art, Four Seasons, Caesar’s Palace and Nordstrom as well as in hospitals, on cruise lines, and in private collections. Chase recently discussed his experiences working as a professional artist and his plans for the future.
Art
Blasting News (BN): What prompted you into becoming an artist?
Chase Langford (CL): Both of my parents are visual and creative; my dad in advertising and my mom in fashion. They always talked about how something looked, why it looked that way, what that meant on the surface and psychologically. I’ve always had a feverish intent to create from the sandbox to legos to drawing architecture and maps endlessly.
BN: How did you evolve your artistic style?
CL: My fascination with maps led me to cartography, from which is the inspiration kernel from which I paint. My “style” is reflected in my many series, each one the result of a very long—thousands of hours—process of intensive trials. Most pieces are challenging.
Even when I work in the most familiar of creative zones, I’m pressed to find a path to a successful work. In the struggle lies what makes a painting great.
BN: How did you get galleries to feature your work?
CL: I started out with invitation-only shows at my home and studio until they outgrew the space. Hundreds of people came, and almost all the work sold out in six short, frenzied hours.
From there word spread and I was offered shows, gallery representations, and commissions. I’ve never approached a gallery, I have always waited for them to find me. It’s a much better dynamic.
Galleries
BN: How did you first connect with Susan Eley Fine Art and what have your experiences there been like?
CL: In 2011, San Diego artist Amber George approached me to be in a group show she was curating at Susan Eley.
I didn’t know Amber, so it was quite a pleasant surprise. It was a great show, and Susan has invited me back to more group shows, a big solo show in 2014 and now the upcoming show opening April 20th, plus seven art fairs. I am most grateful to Amber and delighted to show at SEFA.
BN: In your opinion, what is the most rewarding thing about working as an artist?
CL: Just being able to create. Paint and paint some more! There is nothing more captivating and exhilarating than transforming a blank canvas into an achievement that resonates and intrigues. It is the best ‘high’ I’ve ever had. I feel so powerful, so right, so alive and engaged in life that matters when I do my best work.
BN: What advice would you give to people who are striving to be professional artists?
CL: Be really sure you are ready to go public. Do not expect the world to embrace your work before you’ve really developed something distinctive to offer. Too many skip the development phase and then face disappointment and frustration. All the non-art aspects of being a professional artist like images, correspondence, shipping, meetings, etc., must be done well. There is no exception for artists from discipline and responsibility.
BN: Do you have any future projects or events that you are excited for and want to talk about?
CL: Along with my show at SEFA, I concurrently have a show at Foster/White in Seattle called “Parallels and Meridians, enter” and I just started a very large three canvas commission for a corporate executive suite in Jakarta. My first painting in a museum show recently ended at the Long Beach Museum of Art. My painting was placed on the marquee wall as you entered and was selected for all the promotional materials.
