_{By Abi Falin Horspool}

“I’m a punk at heart,” Kevin Hoertig says. Recently, the Utah oil painter had the opportunity to create the artwork for Phoenix-based metal band Halls of Mandos’ upcoming 2025 EP Perish the Flame and recent lead single of the same name. “I’ve always wanted to break into that space. It was really exciting for me because that’s the kind of music … my work works with.” 

Hoertig loves working with and listening to music because “it’s such a great way to bridge the energy and feel of mediums.” He cites punk bands like GBH, Crass, and Minor Threat as early influences that shaped his approach to texture and movement. “When I wasn’t in school, a lot of the work I did was directly inspired by music,” Hoertig explains. “A lot of earlier punk stuff, anarchist punk, and a little bit of thrash … influenced my colors, textures, and feel.”

“I consider myself a romanticist at heart,” says Hoertig. “I’m very much into the awe-inspiring aspects of nature. I like helping people recognize how small they are, their frailty, their humanity, in comparison to the bigger picture.” Punk is perfect for that idea. Hoertig asked Halls of Mandos to point out a piece of his they liked, and that was the jumping off point for the project.

He wanted to create a piece that wasn’t just another album cover, but one that would make people stop and listen. “I studied [Halls of Mandos’] work for a while, trying to get to know him pretty well,” Hoertig says. “And then I tried to bring my style, my message, my philosophy to my work and his work as well.”

His collaboration with Halls of Mandos is one of many Hoertig’s had with musicians. “I’ve worked with some other bands in the area, mostly folk and a little bit of indie stuff but usually on a smaller scale.” He’s made posters for bands, worked with singer Will Sangster in Salt Lake City, and last year, Hoertig’s solo exhibition, Maker of Monsters, featured a live performance from local band Homestyle Dinner Rolls.

Hoertig’s path to becoming an artist wasn’t linear. But one element of his art has always been present in his life. “I’ve always loved nature,” he says. “My dad was a professional fisherman and so there’s where that kind of stems from.” While at school in Idaho, he initially pursued paleontology and then switched to hospitality and tourism management before an art appreciation class shifted his entire trajectory.

The class visited the Orange County Museum of Art. “They had one point where you’re going through the rooms and … you’re kind of forced to walk down this hallway. And they had a piece by Miriam Schapiro called ‘Arbor.’  It looks like a window, and it feels like a window. To me, that was the first moment I realized that art can be more than just a depiction of something. It was like looking into her world and her reality and what she sees.”

Inspired, Hoertig went to Hobby Lobby that same day, bought supplies, and began experimenting with painting, which led to his receiving a BA in Studio Oil Painting and minor in Art History at BYU-Idaho. His fascination with monsters emerged later. “It got to a point where I realized I like creatures and monsters,” he says. “And I was like, who’s to say I can’t just paint what I want?” So, he started painting monsters. “It was originally a series, but it’s really solidified itself into what I do now.”

Hoertig loves connecting with people over his work. “I really enjoy painting in public,” he says. “It forces me to get in the zone. It’s like, ‘Okay, I’m here to work.’” Hoertig recalls one memorable exchange during a show held in Provo’s Sub Zero loft: “This mom came up to me and said, ‘I don’t like your work.’ And I said, ‘That’s awesome—tell me why.’ We ended up talking for a long time. It was a really cool conversation.” 

In Hoertig’s most recent exhibition, Animals, each piece in the show stands on its own but contributes to a larger narrative about conservation and humanity’s role in the natural world. The exhibition took nearly a year to prepare. “I started working on it last September,” Hoertig shares. “I went out for inspiration … traveled down to like Goblin Valley and got as many references and inspiration as I could.” 

One of his favorite pieces for the show, Judgment, was created in collaboration with Eco Defense Group, a nonprofit that trains anti-poaching rangers in Africa. “This piece was a collaboration with them while also being specifically made for this show,” Hoertig says. “It’s tied to a purpose.”

Whether he’s painting fantastical monsters or hosting immersive music and art events, Hoertig aims for connectedness and awe-inspiring work. “My whole life revolves around art in some form.”

For those interested in his work, follow Kevin Hoertig on Instagram. He’d love to collab on more music/art projects in the future. You can check out “Perish the Flame,” featuring Hoertig’s art on the cover, below.