Artist Spotlight

Temporary Exhibition

An Interview with artist, William Brian Hibbard

by Jenny Cupero

Cary Visual Art stresses the importance of public art in the community and focuses on the diverse artists who bring warmth, creativity, and color to Cary with their talent. While CVA has placed murals, sculpture, and even playground benches in different locations throughout the area, some of the most memorable work has been that of artists who re-use everyday materials to create their artwork, a process referred to as found-object or mixed media sculpture. William Brain Hibbard, a professional painter and sculptor, is among some of these talented sculptors whose expertise lies in creating new art out of old materials. A life-size horse sculpture which he named Brownie (named after a horse owned by Herb Young) was placed on temporary exhibition in the lobby of the Herbert C. Young Community Center in Cary earlier this year.

Recently, Cary Visual Art spoke with Hibbard about his creative process, inspiration, and history with mixed media sculpture. In this enlightening interview, Hibbard reveals the dedication and artistic vision it takes to become a successful sculptor and confirms that there is truth behind the phrase, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

CVA: How did you first become interested in doing sculptures using reused materials?
William Brian Hibbard: When I first moved to Greensboro in 2000, I started working with another sculptor. We arrived from Santa Fe, New Mexico, in our old Dodge camper, with no money. I painted my pictures on scrap wood and paper and used scrap metal from work for my sculptures. I eventually saved enough money to buy better materials and tools but some of my methods, including using found objects, remained as part of my art.

CVA: Where does your inspiration come from?
WBH: My inspiration comes from several sources. Most of my sculptures, especially the horses, are influenced by my love for the southwest. I worked at a ranch for a while and our living quarters were attached to a tack room. We had horses in our back yard. The culture there was influenced greatly by the old cowboy and Native American spirit. Horses symbolized this spirit. I also have landscape paintings and horse paintings, which are influenced by the southwest. In other work, my inspiration comes from religion and the masters’ depictions of religious subjects. These paintings combine classical compositions and figures with contemporary mixed media and techniques. I use asphalt, aluminum roofing, bronze, copper, miscellaneous paint, etc. in the paintings. Most of these materials were used at first because they were easily available to me. I used what I could find or what were given to me. So both my paintings and sculptures utilize unusual materials.

CVA: Is sculpting with re-used materials more or less challenging than the other types of artwork, such as the landscapes you do?
WBH: Using found objects in your work can be very tedious. Each piece becomes a different puzzle. It can be frustrating not having the right objects available for the piece, but it also allows for interesting forms to emerge that I would never have envisioned. I wouldn’t say that it is harder to use found objects but it definitely presents its own unique challenges.

CVA: Do you plan out the piece before you sculpt it as far as using and placing certain pieces?
WBH: Sometimes the objects fall into place quickly and other times I lay them out on the floor or arrange them in my mind until the forms make sense. I will also cut pieces out if I don't like the arrangement.

CVA: Where do you obtain the objects?
WBH: Some of the objects are given to me by friends who salvage them from work sites and others I find on the side of the road or at the scrap yard. I may have objects for years before I figure out how to use them. For example, I traded my truck for a 1971 Honda motorcycle while in Santa Fe and brought the bike with me to Greensboro. It broke down soon after arriving and I didn’t want to put money into it. It sat in my yard for 5 years, to the delight of my wife, before I found a use for it. It became the body and head for one of my horses.

CVA: How did you begin your career?
WBH: My career really started once I arrived in Greensboro even though I considered myself an artist since high school. I was tired of working odd jobs and only found pleasure while I was being creative especially doing my own art. Once my first child was born I really started working hard so that I could support my family with my art.

CVA: Do you have any future projects dealing with mixed media sculpture?
WBH: As far as future projects, I am always experimenting and finding new ways to use materials but this is mostly for galleries. I have some chances to reuse materials for public art but it depends on the project. I just finished a mural for downtown Greensboro and bronze plaques for the baseball stadium. I will be starting a mural for the historical museum this summer but these projects didn’t involve reused materials. I will be using glass and steel together for a sign at [a church] but this is using new material. However, the design and concept are definitely influenced by my using found materials.

CVA: What has been the most rewarding part of creating mixed media sculpture?
WBH: The most rewarding part of working this way is that the materials become a great influence and sometimes inspiration for the work. It keeps my work from getting stale or boring. Each piece is a new experience. I may use a material or object that I would never have thought of on my own and this opens doors for me to communicate my art in new and, oftentimes, more powerful ways.

CVA: What has the response to your work been?
WBH: I am amazed and humbled by the response to my work. I wake up each morning thankful that I can do what I am passionate about. It is so satisfying to have a vision for a piece and to have the means to create it. That is only possible because people are moved enough to buy my work and support me.

CVA: Why did you choose to depict horses?
WBH: I have always dealt with the human figure in my work and horses and landscapes are a more recent development. Horses are definitely a response to my longing for the southwest. They embody the spirit. I also started the horses because my two sons love old cowboy shows and horses. They seem to have picked up on my desires. I started doing more horses for them to play with in the yard.

CVA: How has using reused materials to create sculptures changed your outlook on other areas of art?
WBH: I started using reused materials with my paintings before my sculptures but the working back and forth from sculpture and painting has introduced me to new ways to use the materials. My paintings and sculpture are starting to blend together so that some of my paintings are looking more like sculpture and some of my sculptures look like paintings. I think this will continue to happen more in the future.
William Brian Hibbard’s Brownie will remain on exhibition in the Herb Young Community Center through the spring of 2007. It is included in CVA’s current temporary art exhibition and is available for purchase.

For more information about Hibbard and his artwork, visit him online at http://www.hibbardfinearts.com

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