I’ve followed the art of Jon Huck for a few years now, after discovering it via my Art Openings LA Instagram account. I believe he was part of a group show that was happening in town, and I was taken by his simple yet surreal watercolor paintings. They almost had an “outsider art” feel to them in the way they were painted. From then on, I was hooked. I’d see his name pop up in other local group exhibits, as well as some solo exhibitions of his work (which I have yet to see in person). It’s great stuff.
I’ve had him on my wishlist of people to reach out to for this Background Noise series for a while now, but it wasn’t until I was filing records at my recent part-time stint at Fingerprints Music here in Long Beach that I discovered Jon was also part of a band I’ve enjoyed for years called Thelonious Monster. I used to watch their music videos when I’d stay up late on Sunday nights to watch MTV’s 120 Minutes, a show that played a big role in shaping my musical taste in my teenage years.
I think it was their major label debut Beautiful Mess that was out at the time, but they had released a few records prior to that in the mid-80s on Epitaph and Relativity Records, respectively. Their first record, Baby…You’re Bummin’ My Life Out in a Supreme Fashion, had a whole bunch of notable friends involved. Not only was the cover art done by the legendary Fab 5 Freddy, but the album itself featured “guest producers” such as Anthony Kiedis, Flea and the late Hillel Slovak of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Norwood Fisher of Fishbone, Brett Gurewitz of Bad Religion, Spit Stix of FEAR, and also featured some guest guitar courtesy of K.K. Barrett, drummer of synth-punk legends The Screamers.
When visual artists I admire are also musicians, it’s a no-brainer when it comes to reaching out to them to see if they’d be interested in participating in this project. The two obviously go hand in hand. I’m honored that Jon quickly said yes to answering a few of my questions for this.
What was the first album you bought?
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Green River.
My sister and I used to watch this kid show every Sunday morning called Wonderama. They had a dance segment that was like American Bandstand for 7 year-olds. “Green River” (the song) was on regular rotation at the time. I think it appealed to me because it was kind of spooky. I probably played just that single track for a long time before I managed to get to the rest of the record.
What was the last album you bought?
I can’t remember the last LP I bought, but I know that I bought a single of Nick Gilder – “Got to Get Out” this year. I mostly buy 45s these days.
First concert?
David Bowie at The Forum here in LA. It was the tour that the David Live album came from so I guess it was 1973 or ’74.
Last concert?
Kraftwerk at Disney Hall.
Was there one album that made a significant impression on you?
Too many to single one out. A few that spring to mind that changed the way I think about music :
Young Marble Giants – Colossal Youth
X – Los Angeles
David Bowie – Low
Gang of Four – Entertainment!
Talking Heads – Fear of Music
Harry Partch – The World of Harry Partch
Who is your musical hero?
I have a long list of heroes, musical and otherwise, that I add to all the time. It’s getting unwieldy and I should probably alphabetize it. I guess I don’t have just one particular.
How important is music to your creative process?
It’s very important for inspiration even though I don’t listen to music a lot when I’m painting. I listen mostly while driving or walking but I get a lot of ideas while doing so. If I do play music while I paint, it’s mostly kind of ambient/arty/experimental stuff. Nothing with lyrics. If I’m doing a larger piece, or one with a lot of frenetic activity, I listen to something more angular and aggressive like Miles Davis – On the Corner. Basically, one long, freak-out jam with different movements.
BONUS: What is your favorite album cover of all time (and why)?
I don’t know that these are my absolute favorites, but I always found them compelling. In 2017, some friends at Showboat Gallery in Highland Park put on a really fun group show of artist-reinterpreted album covers.
I picked these three to paint:
Thelonious Monk – Monk’s Music – Where he’s sitting in this little red wagon. It’s such a great photo and he’s really poking fun at the pomp & hubris of the “artist” cover and, even though he’s making fun of it, he still manages to look incredibly cool.
X-Ray Spex – Germ Free Adolescents – Great art direction that perfectly fits the album and the band’s sensibilities.
John & Yoko – Two Virgins – Simple and confrontational. I remember it was controversial when this was first released, not just because of the nudity, but the record was unlistenable. I think this was a big fuck you to everyone who harassed them over the years and the cover communicates that really well
On a side note, it was fun to paint pubic hair. I don’t have much occasion to do that in my regular work.
All of the above really convey the artist’s spirit with just a single image. That is quite a feat and I’m always impressed when somebody nails it.
BONUS #2: Any visual artist(s) you’d like to see answer these questions?
Dave Muller
Francesca Gabbiani
Curt Lemieux
Katrien De Blauwer
Jeremy Shockley
Klas Ernflo
Marnie Weber
Tied & Tickled Trio – The Long Tomorrow
Johnny Pate – You Can’t Even Walk in the Park (Opening Theme)
Aksak Maboul – (Mit I) Saure Gurke (Aus I Urwald Gelockt)
Glyders – Geneva Strangemod
La Sécurité – Detour
Fleetwood Mac -Albatross
Whitefield Brothers – Safari Strut
Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’77 – País Tropical
Cate Le Bon, Group Listening – The Light
Ramsey Lewis – Money in the Pocket
ASS, Andreas Söderström – Escape from NY
Getdown Services – Head Down for the Conversation
Art Jerry Miller – Finger Lickin’ Good
John Martyn – May You Never
Flin Flon – Ukraina
Buzzcocks – Whatever Happened To…?
Bob Weaver – I Think You Two Should Leave
Talking Heads – Drugs
Public Body – Reset My Password
Brian Eno – By This River
The Monochrome Set – Eine Symphonie Des Grauens
The Runaways – American Nights
Acid Pauli – Intellijel Bell
Bee Gees – Jive Talkin’
Dwight Twilley Band – Could Be Love
Family Fodder – Cerf Volant
Whatever The Weather – 12° C
Faces – Pineapple and the Monkey
Heart – Lovemaker
Gal Costa – Vou Recomeçar
Traffic – Light Up or Leave Me Alone
Nick Lowe – 36 Inches High
Bill Callahan – Diamond Dancer
Graham Nash – Better Days
Walter Wanderley – Call Me
Brightblack Morning Light – Fry Bread
Broadcast – Man Is Not A Bird
Check out Jon’s playlist below on Spotify. Be sure to like Background Noise on Facebook for updates on future episodes. You can browse ALL the Background Noise episodes right here.
See more of Jon’s work at his website or on Instagram.
