34 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MARCH 23-29, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com FACE TO FACE Artist Warren Chang lives and paints on a leafy, calm street in the New Monterey area, where in 2007 he built a studio inspired by the Vermont studio of American painter and illustrator, Norman Rockwell. This is where Chang spends the morning, working for three or four hours at a time, when his energy is at its highest—although never on days he plays tennis, a hobby he takes “as seriously as my art,” he says. “They require an equal amount of strength and energy.” Surrounded by books, some of his favorite pieces and carefully arranged brushes, Chang continues to build his body of work. His subject matter for the last two decades has been fieldworkers of Monterey County, a visual continuation of what writer John Steinbeck was committed to: documenting the struggle of the perpetual underdog. Like Rockwell, his paintings start as photos. But before Chang transitioned, already in his 40s, to fine art, he became famous as an illustrator for Atari. His work became such a pop culture phenomenon, he says, “that I was afraid that I would be more known as a guy who did Atari video covers when he was 23 years old, than an established fine artist.” While living in New York and Los Angeles, Chang started teaching drawing and painting in the most prestigious art schools, such as Pratt Institute. It was around that time—the late 1990s—when he decided to transition to fine art, starting with self-portraits and “Vermeer-like moody interiors,” he says. Weekly: Why did you come back to Monterey? Chang: My wife and I have a couple of boys. My parents were here and we were looking for a better life. And the odd thing that happened was that I went to New York and L.A. seeking fame and fortune. It never came to me. But when I came to Monterey, the world came to me. If you have something interesting, the world will knock on your door. Suddenly, I was exploding with recognition I couldn’t get when I went to a big city to be discovered. Let’s talk about what you call your “subject matter.” Artists have been painting fieldworkers for centuries, starting with Breughel, Jean-Francois Millet [a French painter renowned for his peasant subjects]. They usually are off the highway; they are invisible people. But when I approached a gallery in San Francisco with the first three of those paintings, they seemed offended. But then, the response was good. People were really reacting to it. In positive, and very negative ways. They are stories of struggle. I don’t really tell happy stories—although I don’t think the workers think about themselves that way. What do they think? When I started painting farmworkers, I was shy when taking photos. For example, the “Flower Girl.” There was a young woman selling flowers on the side off Holman Highway. But when I took her photo, she turned around and walked away. I asked her if I could take a photo. She said: “No, no.” Then I hired a young woman and I dressed her, put her on the road and bought some flowers. Now I can get in touch with any grower and get permission to be on their farm. The workers know and I can get close. I’m usually there with the owner or a foreman. Like here [shows a painting in his studio called “Playing Cards”], I was on the avocado farm. This scene is a re-creation of what a man told me about how workers spent breaks. A lot of times I take photographs, but often I have to re-create the scene. It’s almost like making a movie. How important is your background in illustration? All my picture-making skills I apply to my fine art. That’s the same set of tools I used as an illustrator. Illustration is still looked down upon. But it can be art. I think there’s a lot of room in the fine art world. Tell me about your colors. Often I work from black and white and invent my colors. Because my palette is steeped in all these gray neutrals and earth colors, when I do introduce a bright color, it has more impact. It’s something the Old Masters did, and it has a big emotional impact. Like blackand-white photography—it has a certain quality to it. Having a palette that is subdued and more mute suits me, for the mood I try to convey. What are you working on these days? I have a show at the Winfield Gallery in Carmel in September. That’s what I’m working towards. Farm To Canvas Warren Chang had to leave—and return— to become a contemporary Old Master. By Agata Pop˛eda Warren Chang in his studio, with a recent piece. The scene depicted was recreated from a story and photographed. Chang “invented” his own colors and modified reality, by— for example—giving one farmworker a brimmed hat. 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