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Your technology isn’t just a reflection of you; it’s what fuels your passions. And considering that the background on your desktop is something you look at most of the day, shouldn’t it be something inspiring? Something different? We’re speaking with a collection of artists whose work will appear on the latest HP desktops and laptops. Read their stories here on thenextbench.com, see their art…and download it for free from HP’s Facebook page.
TheNextBench: I have images of Fargo as being a
very cold, stark place. Did growing up there impact your art in any way?
Chad Hagen: I grew up in Moorhead, MN across the
river from Fargo and it certainly can be a cold, stark place at times. It’s a
gateway to the Great Plains of the Dakotas, so it's very flat and in the
wintertime it can get very windy and very cold. I know there are a lot of
influences that have been hard wired in me from living there. My parents
were both from a farm community in northern Minnesota so I like to think I have
a good DIY work ethic. I've always had an attraction to a no-nonsense
utilitarian aesthetics which is probably influenced by everything from my
grandpa running an International Harvester implement to growing up in this
great Midwest art and design community.
TNB: You recently contributed to
something really cool called “Join the Dots”. What was that
all about?
CH: For me, this project really defines the affect
that social media has had on creating a global art community. Dixon Baxi, who
orchestrated this collaborative project, asked artists, illustrators and
designers from all parts of the world to come together and take a simple
circular template they created and had them interpret it as they see fit. I
love projects that are one part problem solving and two parts personal
interpretation.
CH: The exposure is great but I really love the
process. To me there is nothing better than having to solve a very specific
problem. In the case of editorial illustration, you usually have to create the
face of the article and your being entrusted the task of making that happen in
how you see fit. I love it.
TNB: I know it's hard to choose a
favorite, but out of everything you've worked on which one meant the most to
you? And why?
CH: My favorite pieces are usually those that come
together quickly and allow me to be surprised. But I think the "Nonsensical Infographic" series has meant the most to
me in terms of people becoming aware of my artwork. I was able to connect
with Jen Bekman and the 20x200 folks, which, in turn, has really launched an
art career.
TNB: Were you surprised when HP
approached you to develop a wallpaper design? Was it something you’d done
before?
CH: Definitely surprised, it is not often you get
commissioned to create art the way you want to do it for such a big audience.
Even though I'd never done any wallpaper art, I have a background in graphic
design, so the applied arts are comfortable to me.
TNB: Did you conduct any research on the state of wallpaper art? Or did
you have any pre-conceived notions about it?
CH: To me the goal of wallpapers is very simple. Make art that makes a person
to want to display it on their computer for others to see. My only
preconceived notion about them was making sure it functioned well on a desktop
as messy as my own. 
TNB: What’s next for you? Where are we
likely to see your art in the future?
CH: I'm very close to setting up a store on my website where I will be selling
limited edition prints of my work.
What do you think of this artwork? Share your
thoughts in the comments below. And if you want to learn more about all the
other artists involved in HP’s Wallpaper project, check out this
story right here.
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