+ By Julia Gibb
Jeff Huntington’s paintings have a tendency to feel like portraits, even when his subjects are flora and fauna. Jeff is my husband. We have been friends for 23 years: since we were undergraduates at the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, D.C. From this intimate perspective, I can tell you that the path of his artistic obsessions can be winding and sometimes dark, littered with images of shimmering beauty and crushing heartbreak. From sensuously rendered paintings of birds, flowers, and tropical fish, to portraits of young victims of the Khmer Rouge, he paints with unflagging single-mindedness and imparts his subjects with scrupulous care. Always, he returns to the human face.
Jeff’s earliest work, completed when he was eight years old, comprised a series: Portraits of a Toucan. Other series followed, including painted copies of Star Wars trading cards, copies of Old Master paintings, hundreds of plein air (outdoor) landscapes, and always, portraits. He is a compulsive counter and maker of lists, inclined to keep records of everything: from his vast body of work, to books read and birds sighted. His series of paintings, like his lists, seem to confer equal importance to all of his subjects; flowers are put on display in a way that is just as confrontational as the fragmented human faces representing the confusion of a mind addled by Alzheimer’s. His subjects gaze with dead-eyed stares or unsettling expressions of malicious glee. Deceptively beautiful, these paintings are eye candy that leaves the viewer with an uneasy cerebral aftertaste.
When I met Jeff in 1991, he had been painting for over a decade. Though he struggled in school, he eventually earned a General Education Development (GED) credential, created a massive portfolio of paintings, and applied to the Corcoran, where he was awarded a partial scholarship. Having found fertile ground for artistic growth, Jeff was an ambitious student with a remarkable ability to rally others to participate in extramural pop-up gallery projects.
At the Corcoran, Jeff became an assistant to artist and teacher William Newman, who trained him in Old Master painting techniques. This relationship would prove to be the foundation for his future painting. In addition to the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree Jeff earned at the Corcoran, he holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he attended on a full scholarship, an honor only bestowed on one student per year.
Drawn to New York City in 1998, Jeff worked as an art handler while continuing to paint prolifically. His job gave him access to the behind-the-scenes art world. “How else do you get direct contact with all levels of the ‘Art World Pyramid?’” Jeff said over a recent breakfast at the Metropolitan Kitchen and Lounge. “You have to be the scum at the bottom of the pyramid.” He became animated as he quickly sketched, explaining how an art handler interacts with each tier (see pyramid graphic).
Jeff worked for such blue-chip art collectors as Marc and Livia Straus, maintaining their vast art collection. While attending one of the Straus’ parties, Jeff met artist Tim Rollins, who is known for his collaboration with at-risk students, collectively known as Tim Rollins and K.O.S. (Kids of Survival).
Jeff’s move to Annapolis in 2002 proved difficult. Homesick for urban life, he entered a period of depression. Annapolis didn’t seem to be a friendly home for his style of painting; most local art seemed to focus on the town’s maritime character. Two years later, Jeff created an energizing workplace for himself, opening Jahru Studio, where he currently offers screen-printing and design services. In 2011, Jeff met Jimi Davies, and Jahru Studio also became home base for JaH-HaHa Collaborative Art (Jeff Alan Huntington + Jimi HaHa). The “artners” spent the next two years producing hundreds of works, including mixed media paintings, murals, and limited-edition prints. Through this partnership, Jeff discovered that Annapolis had a burgeoning community of talented artists. Fortified by new friendships, he became involved in local outreach programs, mentoring young artists and teaching collaborative art with Jimi. He is an adjunct professor at the Corcoran College of Art and Design, where he continues the lineage of Bill Newman’s teachings along with his own style of collage painting and collaboration.
Jeff’s latest project, 49@49, was conceived last September when he attended Omar Said’s one-man play The Pear Tree, performed in a then-empty storefront owned by Brian and Sarah Cahalan, right next to their café, 49 West. He was deeply moved, not only by the electrifying performance, but also by the rapt attentiveness of the audience. The same night, Jeff was offered a show at 49 West. With a newfound fondness for the local characters that flock to the café, he set out to paint 49 portraits of these kindred spirits, often incorporating costumes and poses from the work of Old Masters, but sometimes using the subject’s own garb and accessories.
Though it is sometimes hard for Jeff to articulate just why he finds the human face such a compelling subject, this time, the answers come easily. “It’s all about reaching out. It’s like the Daniel Johnston drawing that says ‘Hi, How Are You?’ The big art world is full of cliques. The Annapolis art community is about artists helping other artists,” says Jeff. He hopes that 49@49 will help to focus attention on the vibrant, if sometimes hidden, art community in Annapolis.
Jeff’s move to Annapolis in 2002 proved difficult. Homesick for urban life, he entered a period of depression. Annapolis didn’t seem to be a friendly home for his style of painting; most local art seemed to focus on the town’s maritime character. Two years later, Jeff created an energizing workplace for himself, opening Jahru Studio, where he currently offers screen-printing and design services. In 2011, Jeff met Jimi Davies, and Jahru Studio also became home base for JaH-HaHa Collaborative Art (Jeff Alan Huntington + Jimi HaHa). The “artners” spent the next two years producing hundreds of works, including mixed media paintings, murals, and limited-edition prints. Through this partnership, Jeff discovered that Annapolis had a burgeoning community of talented artists. Fortified by new friendships, he became involved in local outreach programs, mentoring young artists and teaching collaborative art with Jimi. He is an adjunct professor at the Corcoran College of Art and Design, where he continues the lineage of Bill Newman’s teachings along with his own style of collage painting and collaboration.
Jeff’s latest project, 49@49, was conceived last September when he attended Omar Said’s one-man play The Pear Tree, performed in a then-empty storefront owned by Brian and Sarah Cahalan, right next to their café, 49 West. He was deeply moved, not only by the electrifying performance, but also by the rapt attentiveness of the audience. The same night, Jeff was offered a show at 49 West. With a newfound fondness for the local characters that flock to the café, he set out to paint 49 portraits of these kindred spirits, often incorporating costumes and poses from the work of Old Masters, but sometimes using the subject’s own garb and accessories.
Though it is sometimes hard for Jeff to articulate just why he finds the human face such a compelling subject, this time, the answers come easily. “It’s all about reaching out. It’s like the Daniel Johnston drawing that says ‘Hi, How Are You?’ The big art world is full of cliques. The Annapolis art community is about artists helping other artists,” says Jeff. He hopes that 49@49 will help to focus attention on the vibrant, if sometimes hidden, art community in Annapolis.
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