Nothing Lasts but Nearly Everything Lingers by Charles Snowden

We are proud to display the works of Charles Snowden in his gallery, Nothing Lasts but Nearly Everything Lingers, here at the Linksoul Lab. Put on in conjunction with The Hill Street Country Club, the gallery is free and open to the public. Exhibition runs May 12th through June 9th.

The Hill Street Country Club interviewed Snowden about his works:

What are you currently reading, listening to or looking at to fuel your work?

I’m reading books about artists I admire and their practice. One book that stands out is Seeing is Forgetting the Name of the Thing One Sees, a biography of Robert Irwin. I listen to music that’s depressing for the most part. Lately, I’ve been trying to limit the amount of artwork I view whether it’s through visits to LA, artist talks, or social media. Despite the linear evolution of my work, I am constantly pulled in different directions by the information surrounding me. I’m trying to get better at filtering my influences.

What are your biggest challenges to creating art and how do you deal with them? How do you navigate the art world?

One of the biggest challenges I face with creating art is determining whether my work is worth it or not. I think about the idea that there isn’t a need for another straight, white male's voice in art. I am aware of the privileges that I’ve been granted based on my demographic and how that might shape my practice. I can’t escape who I am and that I want to make work based on personal experiences. However, I can make work that is sensitive, empathetic, and self-aware in the hope that there is a universal message or experience to walk away with.

What mediums do you work with? How would you describe your subject matter?

I work with clay almost exclusively at this point, but I am not committed to the medium so we’ll see where that goes. My subject matter deals with a human desire for intimacy and connection set against feelings of distance and detachment.

When people ask you what you “do”, how do you answer?

I’m an artist.

Describe a childhood memory that has influenced your artwork.

I grew up listening to Motown and soul music with my mom. I used to dance with her while standing on the back of our old burgundy couch so that we were at the same height. A lot of times I find myself working alone in the studio while dancing and singing to the same music.

Has there been a shift or change in your life or work that has led to what you’re making now? Do you see your work as autobiographical at all?

Of course.

What is your personal message to your artwork and how does that connect to a communal and universal message?

I’m trying to visually represent emotional states that are difficult to articulate, even when the memories that perpetuate them are easy to hold onto. Anyone who has felt connected to a particular person, place, or object has also dealt with loss and the feelings that come with it.

Do you intend your work to challenge the viewer?

With my work, I think that it depends on the viewer.

Is the creative impulse driven by a personal need to ease pain and/or satiate desire?

Both.

What three things never fail to bring you pleasure?

Olives, bread, and cured fish.

What’s your motto?

I don’t have one.

You can follow Charles on Instagram at @ipeeinmywetsuit. And the Hill Street Country Club at @thehillstreetcountryclub.