From Bidding Goodbye to Art, to Creating “Goodbye Art”

Phil Hansen gave up on his dream of becoming an artist when he became fixated on pointillism in art school. In trying to perfect the tedious technique, he inadvertently made it impossible to do so when he developed permanent nerve damage in his hand. Hansen, devastated by this news, dropped out and stopped making art. He revisited his doctor several years later, hoping his hand had healed a bit in the interim, but Hansen was told the shake in his hand preventing him from drawing straight lines was here to stay.

The doctor did, however, impart on him a valuable suggestion; why not embrace the shake? The solution to Hansen's problem--that he couldn't make art--came to him in an instant and motivated him to experiment with all sorts of new media and techniques. Hansen admits he had given up on his lifelong dream until hearing the doctor's advice; he was certainly not likely to use analysis to solve the problem, instead using unconscious insight to transform his perspective of his creative process. Without reaching out to the people in his life who understood his dilemma, Hansen would not have heard the outside perspective that ultimately led to his "eureka moment."

This new perspective applied not only to his art but also to nearly every other aspect of his life. Instead of seizing the day, Hansen now tells his fans to “seize the limitation.” Mimicking Gehry, the Gardner creatives, and the skateboarders in Dogtown and Z-Boys, Phil Hansen uses the constraints on his physical abilities as a source of inspiration to create novel art from a wide variety of non-traditional materials. He contrasts the creative flow from self-imposed limitations against the creative roadblocks that occur when artists try to “think outside the box” with too many traditional tools and methods at their disposal. His new approach to art synthesizes his formal knowledge of art with an openness to new methods that rivals that of the Gardner creatives. For example, he returned to his pointillist roots when he created a portrait of Nikola Tesla with electricity.

One of the most valuable skills Hansen's learned from his artistic second wind is the willingness to let go. He once spent an entire year on a series he calls "Goodbye Art," which he creates with the express purpose of destroying once it is finished. Hansen depicted Jimi Hendrix, for example, by stacking hundreds of matchsticks so that he could set the entire structure on fire.

As an artist who lacks creativity, I am fascinated by Phil Hansen's unique perspective and seemingly limitless source of creative projects. His patience, ingenuity, and collaboration with fans across the nation all inspire me to challenge myself in ways I never have before (and to take my art a little less seriously, from now on).

For more information on Hansen's works and creative process, or to participate in one of his projects, visit www.philinthecircle.com!