The Witching
Hour
Oil on Canvas
Prairie Fires
Oil on Canvas |
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BILLY
HASSELL
About
the Artist
Informed
and inspired by observations of nature,
my work explores patterns and some of the
ways in which they occur. From the scale
patterns of fish to the flight patterns
of birds, there are patterns everywhere
in nature, overlapping and intersectiong
in what appears, at first, to be total
chaos. I look for repetition and order.
Although exaggerated and highly stylized,
the patterns in my work, as well as the
flora and fauna, are all based upon
direct observation. They are not merely
decorative embellishments but have a
basis in reality and to some extent
establish location and a sense of place.
This sense of place is important to me;
it anchors my work.
The patterns work on various levels. I am
fascinated by derivations of patterns
from nature into common, everyday
applications such as wallpaper and fabric
design. We tend to take these more
decorative applications for granted since
they are very present elements of our
environment. Their overwhelming presence,
however, suggests a human need to bring
nature into our living spaces. I would
further suggest that it is a deeply
rooted need that can be traced back to
the painted and mosaic interiors of
ancient Pompeii and even further back to
cave paintings.
Painting, for me, is a way of integrating
all of these concerns, finding
fascination in the commonplace and
inspiration in the mundane. My hope is
that it might expand, in some small
measure, the ways in which the world is
viewed.
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