Ladies and Gentlemen, Boyz and Grrrrls let Fortune5Fifty introduce you to the world of Hank and his amazing technicolor website. If you haven’t seen the profile we did on Hank then click here. Once you’ve taken the intro course, Hank 101, taught by yours truly then you can step up to the big kids table and direct your browser over to Hank’s brand spanking new website. But you gotta learn to walk before you run, so lets delve into Hank’s brain and check in with the man himself as he was kind enough to give us some insightful answers to our dubious list of questions. So sit back, relax, and blaze one as we talk to Hank and figure out what’s so damn Hanktastic in Mr. Vohrer’s neighborhood.
F5F: What inspires you to create?
Hank: No one thing. There are so many aspects of life that interest me, so many realizations and notions that occur to me, or found in other artists’ work that some how create energy within. Furthermore, the active process of creating art is addictive, especially if it challenges my skill set. I enjoy being the spectator as well, so I do try to give my audience images that provoke thought or conversation, or a crazy dream.
F5F: How would you articulate your style and does it vary across mediums?
Hank: It is actually hard to say what my style is. My work takes on a multitude of styles and it usually varies between pieces. What the piece deserves is what ultimately dictates the visual aesthetics. It’s like directing a film… the story will suggest the kind of imagery and feel, and the cinematographer will push to convey emotion through the quality of light, color, and movement. A true hank.. will always be conceptual and generally have an off-centered topic. 
F5F: Is there a medium that you prefer over others?
Hank: I do not prefer one over the other, however, I do enjoy painting a great deal. I am also still growing as an artist, so maybe I just do not know what I prefer yet. I will say, though, I ultimately plan to become a full time director of photography for independent filmmakers. I will always have my personal work on the side.
F5F: When working on a piece how much of your original idea translates into the final product or does it morph as the piece progresses?
Hank: The original idea never makes it all the way though the process. It is always modified… I may discover a latent concept, make a compromise, or have an epiphany, and that alters the end result, even if it is of the slightest degree. Things get added, omitted, and some things never even make it to the sketchbook.
F5F: Since you use the computer to aid in your work, do you find yourself using the computer as a crutch or just another tool in creating dope work?
Hank: Computers are simply a tool to create. I think it is an artist’s responsibility to know the craft and build techniques in order to create new work. I will say that when working in the digital realm, the importance of disciplining yourself is key. I think the tools allow you to do so much, and it can work against you. Of course it gives me/you freedom and the ability to experiment, and I do. Yet I feel my stronger images have come from very clear and sketched out concepts. I enjoy having so many mediums available to me.
F5F: What are you trying to communicate through your art? Are you trying to tell a story or convey an emotion?
Hank: I do not have one thing that I am trying to get across visually. It’s a lot of things. However, I doubt that my concepts always come through. And that’s a big part of my work. I feel I give enough to illustrate whatever my mind has forced out of me, and then I leave it up to the viewer to work and decipher what is going on. I like it this way, because I think a sizable portion of the art lies in perception. Thus, I am always trying to convey emotion, yet I want the viewer to walk away with their own idea of what my images mean. It should differ between individuals. And if it inspires them to take action in some way then I feel I have been successful.
F5F: What is your favorite piece to date that you have done?
Hank: Ha. I think I have one for every medium. But one of my more recent works, I call Ambitious Nature, (it was at the Snowball, one with wasp and evil clown man) just ‘cause it was begun about three years ago and I finally finished it. But I think the one that actually meant the most was a mural I did for my brother in the house he’s got in Canton. He’s done a lot for me and I guess it was kind of paying him back. (god knows how many bar tabs hes picked up for me…)
F5F: So, other then getting a private tour of the house, where can people find your work?
Hank: You all can see my action at www.Hanktastic.com. it will be an ongoing portfolio.
F5F: Do you have any shows planned for the near future?
Hank: Workin‘ on that one…
F5F: Who are some of your favorite contemporary artists?
Hank: I will start by saying that as my creative drive grew throughout high school, I was very into Dali and Freud. I was very turned on by the bizarre, illogical, and surreal, all things dealing with the subconscious mind. I think dreams are some of the best starting blocks for creating original art. However, since I have been toying with a lot of graphic digital art, I have been really digging James Jean, Tomer Hanuka, Aaron Horkey, and Alex Pardee.
Look for Hank painting live at PHOBIA February 13th, Friday the 13th @ The 13th Floor, 1 E. Chase Street, Baltimore, MD
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