Woven

Interview with HOTTEA artist, Eric Rieger

All images property of Eric Rieger. Used with permission.

Eric Rieger, also known as HOTTEA, is a Minneapolis, Minnesota based artist. With roots in street art, and holding a degree from Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD), Rieger is a conceptual installation artist working largely with textiles. His pieces of public and commissioned art have taken place worldwide from Australia and Brazil, to Germany and Taiwan. His most recent installations “Algebra One” and “Pam” can be seen at Scope Art Show in Miami.

CHARGE MAGAZINE: Your pieces incorporate an element of movement - the pieces themselves move; the audience moves through / under / alongside / with the work; in an outdoor installation, the weather moves, affecting the artwork. Your pieces inhabit the spaces they occupy like intentional, living structures. Can you talk a bit about this type of work? What experience does it offer the viewer, and how does the knowledge that an installation will work in this way influence your approach to its creation?

The Collector from Hot Tea on Vimeo.

ERIC RIEGER: I have always been attracted to installations that allow the viewer to interact with them. I love installations that are meant to both stimulate the mind and body. When I began my work with yarn on the streets, I always loved that it was up to the viewer to decide how they would interact with it. They could either enjoy my work without damaging it, or choose to tear it down with a few tugs. I wanted to bring this element of interaction to all of my work as an homage to my installations on the street. Knowing that people will interact with an installation allows me to create a more intimate space. I am able to design it so the installation creates a sense of personal space. When people see my work, I don’t want them to feel like a stranger, I want them to feel like they have known me for years and this a reunion of our friendship.

CM: Part of that warmth comes from your use of color. Your pieces often make use of strong, vibrant hues. Sometimes the colors are indicative of something specific, like a sunset or landscape. Other times they have perhaps a more abstract purpose. Can you discuss your approach to color.

ER: My approach to color is as you mentioned. Most of the time my color choices are based off of memories or people. When people view my work and the color that is used, I hope they will have a personal connection with it. Color is such a powerful tool and we all have very strong memories of color within our lives. I like my installations to bring life to the space I am working within. I tend to choose bold, colorful, saturated hues for my work. For instance, my installation title “Socorro” after my grandmother, consisted of blue and green. It was installed on a pedestrian walking bridge that crossed a freeway. The two colors were chosen because of their differences but in the middle of the bridge they slowly blend together and become one. This use of color and how it was composed on the bridge represented the language barrier between my grandmother and I. On one side you had her and on the other you had me but we always felt connected spiritually which is why the colors join in the middle.

CM: In the same vein, I'm thinking of the project "Asylum" you did a few years ago at a swimming pool at Manhattan Beach on Roosevelt island. You painted the concrete area around the pool, transforming it into a technicolor rainbow which even incorporates the bright aqua of the pool itself into its color scheme. Talk about the idea of asylum and what that means to you, and how the colors you chose help convey that meaning.

ER: This project was designed entirely on the computer. I studied graphic design in school so my use of color during my studies came into play for this project. The client wanted very little green so I created a design that used mostly warm colors such as magenta, orange, yellow, pink, etc. For the pop of cool, I used the pool color and formed a gradient of cool tones within it. From far away you can see the changes in colors but when walking around on the pool deck the colors change very subtly making for a calming experience even though the colors may suggest otherwise.

Socorro from Hot Tea on Vimeo.

CM:  You talk about your familiarity with yarn being due to your grandmother teaching you how to knit at a young age. And the name “HOTTEA” that you use as an artist, coming from memories of your family being together hot tea being something warm and comforting that brings to mind those times and people. Can you talk about how you bring your own history and roots into your work?

ER: Rarely is my artwork arbitrary. There is usually a reason why my installations are the way they are and I feel like starting with a solid foundation creates successful pieces of artwork. I have such vivid memories of the time I spent with my family growing up as most of us do. When I started HOTTEA, I wanted it to be as personal and vulnerable as possible. After writing graffiti for so many years and having to keep it a secret from my family, doing it illegally and risking arrest I was ready for something totally different. For every project that I do, I put myself out there for people to judge, criticize and ultimately determine whether or not they approve of my artwork. The people that I want to surround myself with are nice, caring, genuine people. The people who follow my work, are those people. I know this because of all of the years putting my history and roots into my work. Whether it be in a description or a feeling you get when viewing the work, part of who I am is always there.

CM: Your work is often dedicated to or presented in memory of particular individuals or communities (A group of dancers who lost their lives in a fire, a young boy who passed away at a school in Minnesota, a local building in New York that was lost to development). What is the importance of this for you? Of connecting your work with local and global communities?

Asbury Park, New Jersey, “One Last Moment Under the Sky.”

ER: I have always been a spiritual person. Ever since I was little I had a connection to the spiritual world. It was only natural for me to incorporate this into my work. I believe that no matter who we are or what we represent we all deserve to be remembered. If I was to die today and no one remembered me, as a soul, I would feel empty. It is for this reason that I find it so important to remember those who are no longer with us. I am creating artwork for a person or group of people that are no longer here but their spirit is remembered within the colors and movement of my installation. It is the least I can do for being able to create my artwork for a living. I am so grateful for my opportunities and I tend to thank those who are watching over me.

CM: I really love the way your work creates that connection, and really weaves together the past in memory and the solid foundations of family and community, with the very modern, forward-thinking nature of the concept and work. The yarn is a very potent symbol of that as it holds together time in that way, while also grappling with space, and being itself subject to time and weather. It’s a lot to try to hold together! In a recent video you noted that, "I always try to have an energy that I put into the pieces. I find that when I’m really putting forth a positive energy in the studio, and building the work, and on site when I’m installing the piece, that people can feel and sense that energy. “ What practices do you use to maintain and project your energy?

ER: When I am in the studio or onsite, I try to channel the memory that I am working with for that specific project. A lot of the energy I am talking about comes from not only me but the people I work with. In my studio I have a few assistants who help me. I trust these people very much with my work and value their friendship. As a collective we work together well and use our energy to create my installations in peace and harmony. I know this may sound hard to believe, but when I have had bad energy during any of the process, my work has been unsuccessful. If I start to sense a bad energy I try to figure out the cause and solve the problem. I believe in giving everyone a fair and equal chance. If you are kind to someone but they are not kind back to you then that is someone I do not want helping me with my work.

CM: You started out as a graffiti writer (I love that phrase, incidentally. We are accustomed to hearing about graffiti artists, but your focus on the writing is really fascinating to me as a writer), working traditionally with paint in public spaces, and then made the transition to textiles. Is there a difference for you in your work with the use of different mediums?

Continuing in my series of words around the world creating a message sent to me by a friend. This time in Taiwan and the word is "THE" from "Words can't express THE gratitude I have right now, and how that's probably the closest I've been to tears i… — Continuing in my series of words around the world creating a message sent to me by a friend. This time in Taiwan and the word is "THE" from "Words can't express THE gratitude I have right now, and how that's probably the closest I've been to tears in a long time. They say actions speak louder than words, and your actions sound louder than a jet fighter." Previous cities so far are Sydney, Australia; and Chicago, Illinois.

ER: Well, with the obvious difference of paint and yarn - yes. With yarn, I am working with a space and with spray paint I was mostly using it on a surface. I know now that paint can be used within a space but it took using yarn to see that. Working as an installation artist is more challenging for me conceptually than working with spray paint. I am only speaking of my practice of painting letters and not of any artist that uses letters and graffiti writing in a more conceptual fashion. With yarn, I am faced with solving the problem of how to use yarn within a space. I cannot always use it in the same way, and at times I have to add other materials to make it successful. In addition to this difference, is the distinction in the approach mentally. As a graffiti writer I was always paranoid about getting caught or doing something wrong that would cause trouble within the graffiti world. As an installation artist, I am completely comfortable doing my work. I am able to produce work that I do not have to hide from my family, I can be open about what I do and express myself in a way that is much more positive.

CM: Similarly, what is the difference for you between un-commissioned vs commissioned work?

ER: The difference is in the risk of being stopped. As far as the energy and ideas that I use, they are very similar. Both un-commissioned and commissioned work is site specific. At times my un-commissioned work can be more conceptually strong because of its surroundings. For example, the lettering I inserted into the building on Bowery in NYC. What made that installation unique is that the other buildings had similar architectural elements but since this building was the only one with bright yellow lettering it really stood out. With my commissioned work it is often a stand alone piece and is the focal point of the space whereas with my un-commissioned work I must make it even more conceptually strong for it to get noticed.

U U G G H H from Hot Tea on Vimeo.

CM: Your textile installations are made of yarn, which, when out in the elements, isn’t exactly a permanent material. How long do the installations usually last? And how do you feel about creating art that is impermanent?

ER: My outdoor installations can last anywhere from 3-5 months outdoors if properly taken care of. I LOVE creating work that is impermanent because it makes it that much more special. You really have to be in the moment to view a piece because it could be gone the next day. I feel that it makes the interaction with the work more meaningful because people know it won’t last forever.

CM: Talk for a bit about your process. From conception to installation. What part of the process do you find most challenging? Does your work ever surprise you?

ER: I find all of the steps of my process challenging, from concept to installation. What really surprises me is the will and determination to create. At times, the weather has not always cooperated with my work, but I have always found a way to install my installations. I love problem solving, and that is my favorite part of my work - without it, I wouldn’t have the interest that I do.

Sesame Street X HOTTEA from Hot Tea on Vimeo.

CM: From street art; to working with recording artists, XGames, and the NFL; to a spot on Sesame Street; to art museums and galleries; to international installations in New Zealand and Australia, Mexico, and Sweden; you seem to have done it all. What's next for you?

ER: Honestly, I have been trying to collaborate with PeeWee Herman for years now. I would love to do that and then I am all set. Haha!

CM: That sounds like it would be a blast. What most excites you at the moment?

ER: I think I’m most excited about the future; about what’s possible, and the ideas I haven’t thought of yet.

Woven: an interview with HOTTEA artist, Eric Rieger

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