Talk of the Town - Walk-up wave August 21 2002

Artist Chris Hauck and his wife, novelist Stephanie Bond, left suburbia and corporate America in one fell swoop, relocating from Alpharetta to a spacious Midtown loft along Ponce de Leon. Hauck rapidly filled the wall space with his richly colorful paintings. Smitten by the intown lifestyle, he also became president of his building association and has joined in efforts to promote Midtown development, particularly for the “walk-up” lifestyle he cherishes.


b>CL: Which came first, the loft or the painting?

Chris Hauck: We originally moved here to cut down on my commute to my old job at a wireless data company. Then I decided to take some art classes at Atlanta College of Art. Living in Midtown — near the Fox, the Woodruff Arts Center, all the great architecture — inspired me to leave the corporate world. My friends thought I was nuts at first, but I think a lot of people wish they could do it, too. Since February, I’ve been focusing on my painting.

There are paintings all over the place. You’ve been working hard since February.

When we first moved here, my wife said she wanted this to be the gallery wall. That was before she even knew I was interested in painting. Now it’s filled up, and actually a lot of my paintings are at the Stockbridge Gallery.

Most of your work focuses on the human figure, but the architectural piece above the steps caught my eye. Is that a new direction for you?

That’s of a building in New York, a city I love. It’s new as far as a subject for my painting, but I hope to do more like that in the future. I’ve always been interested in architecture, and this summer, I enrolled full time in the Georgia Tech master of architecture program. So I’ve finished one semester, and I love it.

I’m enjoying the view of Midtown from your balcony, which is pretty spacious. Do you ever work out here?

Definitely, although not recently since it’s been so hot. Stephanie and I both work in the living room on the first floor, which was supposed to be a bedroom. But we converted ours to a studio and writing space.

I really like your asymmetrical orange headboard and your coffee-table chest. How long have you been making home furnishings?

I started that before we moved here, and so I guess my wife knew I was a little creative. I put in those adjustable bookshelves behind the stairs. There was just an empty gap before I installed them. It’s amazing what you can find from Home Depot.

You have an antique armoire in your bedroom, the only piece of traditional furniture in your entire home. But it’s behind a big curtain.

We gave most of our furniture away when we moved. I don’t miss it at all, and I don’t miss having more space or a yard in the suburbs. One of my proudest moments was selling my lawnmower. We share one car now, and [we] barely even use that since we walk so much and use MARTA. space@creativeloafing.com