A Minute With Chad Etting/Tourist Gallery
Hi! This is a newsletter about artists I like.
I began acquiring art through some friends that worked in galleries. I started small, working on a limited budget, for stuff I could afford. As time passed, my collection grew, and it was exciting to watch many of the artists I'd collected go on to bigger shows and critical acclaim.
My goal with this newsletter is to make a digestible resource for anyone interested in artists that are making great (and still affordable!) work, whom you haven't heard about... yet.
We have a 2 for 1 special today. Chad Etting (IG: @CHADETTING) is a great painter but also runs a gallery called Tourist (IG: @TOURIST.NH) so it makes sense to double up on the questions.
Can you describe your style as an artist along with why you also started a gallery?
Chad: If something feels good and looks right it usually is. This is more a guiding principle than a style and this principle leads me to paint in more than one way. I tend toward gestural brushstrokes in my abstract works and hand painted text in other works. No matter what, color is the driving force for me.
This same principle was in practice when starting Tourist. I found a space that felt good and looked right. It needed to become a gallery. Before that, I had a lot of fun doing pop-up shows of my own work in different spaces. I thought it would be great to keep that energy and excitement going by showing other artists' work as well. I was on the lookout for a longer term space and when I found one I starting inviting artists to show. Tourist was born.
How does being in your area help/hurt you as both an artist/gallerist?
Chad: There’s a great community of artists here in New Hampshire and Vermont. I feel their support both as an artist and gallerist. And as an artist, I use my location as a recurring motif- I lean into the fact that I’m not in a major art center and play off the stereotypes of what New England represents. But with Tourist, I try to bring a slice of NYC up to this community. I don’t think the location particularly helps or hurts, but it is a factor in the gallery's identity.
Can you tell us about your next show at the gallery? Any shows coming up with your work?
I’m really excited about the next show at Tourist! Three brilliant artists will be featured: Hannah Beerman, Leeza Meksin and Molly Zuckerman-Hartung. It will highlight their painting practices that lean toward assemblage. It opens September 17.
As for my work, I’m in a couple group shows coming up in Europe. One in Spain at Luis Adelantado Gallery and one in France at MRAC Occitanie. Both were curated by artist, Camila Oliveira Fairclough.
Who should we have on here next?
Chad: Ted Gahl
What are some recs you have for our readers wanting to go a bit deeper into collecting than this newsletter? Any sites, artists, books, etc.?
Chad: Keep honing your eye! Look at as much art as possible. Learn what you love! A great starting point for me were survey art books published by Phaidon. Also, Instagram is constantly offering an education on art. Find an artist you like and see who they follow. It’s a great way to tap into art you may like. These are some amazing artists I follow: Christopher Peterson, Andy Heck Boyd, Dan Loxton, Jacob Lay, Lucy Mink, Michael Haight, Lamar Peterson and Dana Frankfort.
Keep looking to hone your eye – that way, when you see what you love, you’re ready to move ahead with confidence. And if you see something you like, just ask. Inquiries are always welcome.
What are some recent works you've made and could any of our readers purchase?
Chad: A recent work I’ve made that I am completely in love with, and was immediately infatuated with as soon as I finished it, is the one pictured. It’s a little different from what usually comes out, the colors read more as shapes than brush strokes, and the surface material is different from what I usually use too- it's a stretched canvas drop cloth. I love the neon orange acrylic passage over the red house paint and the drop cloth has some imperfections in its weave that are just delicious. It’s 16x20 inches, acrylic and house paint on canvas drop cloth. It’s available. $2500.
**To purchase, reach out to Chad via IG.
Linkage:
We would like to have some guest interviews done. If you, or you know anyone, that would like to ask some questions to an artist/gallery/collector/etc., let us know and lets make it happen. Leave a comment on this post or email: Garrett.colton@gmail.com