Governor's Gallery
Skip Hill
Selected Works 2000-2007
April 23 thru June 15, 2007
Oklahoma
City artist Skip Hill harvests elements from art history sources, diverse
cultures and channels romantic works of art that reflect a transcendence
that is as familiar as the human spirit.
“My paintings are just as much the progeny of Hindu miniatures, Gauguin, the Italian Renaissance, Japanese Ukiyo-e prints and Russian icon paintings as they are the seeds of Romare Bearden and black Folk art,” explained Hill.
Several of Hill’s works come from his Sogno Series, a suite
of lyrical paintings the artist describes as meditative narratives
on canvas and ceramic tile that are evocative of longing, yearning
and rest, peace and grief, of sweet release, of love and its consequences.
“The impetus of this series of paintings, titled with the Italian word for dreams, is the emotive subconscious. I gather design elements from the world’s myriad forms of cultural graphic expression, from African textiles, Mexican ritual motifs to Asian calligraphy. From a place of creativity, I instinctively abstract these elements through collage, acrylic media and gloss which serve as the foundation into which I inject figurative elements as a means to convey moods or stories without words. It is perhaps an antiquated notion in our post-modern environment, but I strive to create an object of beauty. Equally, I strive to open a window to a means of meditation that is timeless. I’m painting poetry that draws as much from my inner vision as from my outward perception.”
In addition to producing
original paintings, large-scale murals for public schools, and elaborate
sets for the theatre, Hill created a heart-moving sculpture installation
dedicated to the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing. He has been
commissioned to paint frescoes for a public garden in the Netherlands
and has illustrated several children’s
books, winning awards from the Society of Children’s Book Writers
and Illustrators.
His most notable juried shows and expo shows include the Festival
of the Arts in Oklahoma City, the Bayou City Arts Festival, the Atlanta
Dogwood Arts Festival and the National Black Arts Festival where his
paintings led to an interview featured nationwide on Black Entertainment
Television. He was recently awarded the Margaret M. Dabney Award for
Outstanding Achievement in the Visual Arts by the Black Liberated Arts
Center in Oklahoma City.
Hill’s paintings have been exhibited in New York City at the Savacou Gallery, The UFA Gallery, the National Black Fine Arts Show and in Houston at The African American Arts Fest. Hill joins the roster of artists at the JRB Art at the Elms Gallery in Oklahoma City, www.jrbartgallery.com. He serves on the Board of the Oklahoma Visual Artists Coalition.
Sponsored
by the Oklahoma Arts Council. For more information contact Scott Cowan
at 405.521.2931 or scott@arts.ok.gov
The Governor's Gallery is located on the 2nd floor of the State Capitol outside the Blue Room and is open Monday through Friday from 8:30-5:00.
Past Governor's Gallery Exhibits