Meet Carson Garhart | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Carson Garhart and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carson, do you have any habits that you feel contribute to your effectiveness?
Experimentation and earnest self discovery have always been integral to my practice. These habits have kept me developing and evolving without stagnating. Also certain rituals like biking, running regularly, playing basketball; they help me hash out ideas and work through processes off the canvas. Breaks from creativity are always good, being bored, reading, cooking, all of those things help distill ideas. Another big part of my practice has always been music and audio projects, as these are less sustainable financially they are great sources of wealth spiritually and emotionally.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My work is about discovery and intuition as well as beauty and design within concepts of upcycling and decay. Typically I work with materials that are upcycled or salvaged. my process is all about experimenting and discovery, allowing my intuition to guide me. I often start with one idea and the process of creating reveals another fully realized idea. I believe that creativity should be allowed to flourish both discursively and intuitively and the goal of an artist is to not just plagiarize oneself, but to grow and learn. As far as gettting to where i am now, Ive always had a creative practice, its imperative for my mental and physical well being. I need freedom to make and express, its almost not a choice. There are innumerable lessons from all the processes, its impossible to even describe. The main lesson is that in this day and age one has to be the whole thing, from director to producer and marketing, no one will just discover you, you have to do the work. I want people to recognize my work, but as an artist that constantly is changing and growing.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
A perfect day in LA would be starting in Culver CIty, hitting up the galleries namely Blum and Poe, Honor Fraser, Klowden Mann, and then check out the Museum of Jurassic Technology. Also check out rdfa, Lowell gallery and Ochi Projects. After that head to Venice for a brunch at Gjusta, and then hit up the Getty Villa on the way to El Pescador State beach in Malibu. Later head downtown and hit up Senoratown for dinner on the way to the arts district to check out Night Gallery, Vielmetter Gallery, and of course the great Hauser and Wirth. After that you’ll be extremely exhausted so maybe just spread those things out in a week.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My family on a whole is a huge support system of creatives and inspired thinkers. My wife Lily is such a huge inspiration, her drive to dream up and build projects is really so important to me. My father Martin Garhart and my sister Cece Sol both are incredible painters also in very different ways then me but also coming from that same creative spirit. im very lucky in that way to have always had these resources to draw from.

Website: carsongarhart.com

Instagram: _carsong_