Greg Hopkins
Paintings

Reception: Wednesday, February 9, from 6 to 8 pm
Exhibition: February 10 through March 12, 2011

Sloan Fine Art is pleased to present "Paintings," by Greg Hopkins, a new body of work in which the artist explores his obsessions with color, process and pattern.

Greg Hopkins paints in layers. Each painting begins with an ink-wash on a layer of tape that covers the entire surface of the canvas. The drawing is then cut out to create a frisket onto which multiple layers of paint are applied. Each paint layer is preceded by a new tape frisket that acts as a stencil. Acrylic paint is applied to the canvas through the cut out shapes.

Through this process, the initial ink drawing is destroyed and replaced with archival acrylic paint. Hopkins likens his finished artworks to the fossilized remains of extinct animals. “It reminds me of the way fossils aren't old bones from dead animals, but stone that has replaced the bone as minerals migrate through layers of sediment. My paintings begin as temporary ink drawings that are, layer by layer, replaced by a permanent material as the final image is revealed.”

Greg Hopkins’ work has been likened to Abstract Expressionism. Hopkins also describes his work as having “a touch of Pop art, mostly in its response to Ab-Ex.” He sites Warhol and especially Roy Lichtenstein’s brushstroke paintings as sources. The artist’s other influences include Navajo rugs, Amish quilts, video games, wallpaper, comic books and illuminated manuscripts.

Subtle references to numbers, a longtime fascination of Hopkins, are also present. Yet, despite the order and repetition of Hopkins’ process, his paintings still retain a hand-drawn quality. Lines and patterns melt into those that lay beneath. Carefully preserved drips of paint lend an element of decay, entropy and time. In these meticulously executed works, order is questioned, symmetry is skewed, and structure shows its age.

Originally from the South, Greg Hopkins earned his BFA and MA from University of Alabama. He received his MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. In addition to previous solo exhibitions at Galleria Glance in Turin, Italy and Sloan Fine Art, Hopkins’ work has been seen in group exhibitions at venues nationwide, including Postmasters and Exit Art in New York, Columbia College in Chicago, RISD Museum in Providence, RI, and the University of MA in Amherst. Greg Hopkins lives and works in Brooklyn.

Sloan Fine Art is located at 128 Rivington Street on the Lower East Side of New York City. Hours are Wednesday to Sunday, noon to 6, and by appointment. To request more information or high-resolution jpegs, contact Alix Sloan at alix@sloanfineart.com or 212.477.1140.

Image: "Cadmium Orange Beach," 2010, acrylic on canvas, 48" x 48"