February 14–25, 2023
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
ROCKY HAWKINS
Odyssey-H
Great Change Comes
The mystery of unknowing. The electricity of juxtaposition. The equilibrium achieved through struggle. Rocky Hawkins harnesses the expressionistic core of nature in search of peace and quiet amid energetic abstractions. His decades-long quest to paint horses in a transformative style true to their characters and his own has “given rise to knowledge and understanding of this incredible animal and myself as a painter.”
“My approach to painting—and creativity in general—has always been nontraditional,” he says. “I never duplicate reality. I find the mysterious to be so much more interesting, not only for myself, but the viewer as well.”
In lieu of detail, Hawkins offers empathetic marks. By his brush, he channels the wonder of living—as he does—in the American West. “My paintings express layers of connection: between the horse and the rider, between creatures and nature. The horse and the rider are not part of nature, they are nature. This concept follows the ancient yogic philosophy of: This is That and That is This.”
As such, the horse and the rider exist entwined with their enigmatic surroundings, their activity in concert with their conceptual context. Framed by force not by realism, his gestural paintings writhe with wisdom and beauty.
Suggestions of forms—a lone rider, a resolute pine tree—paired with his decisive palette inspire personal, meditative interpretations.
Eschewing plans, Hawkins struggles with his paintings, all while trusting they will eventually resolve themselves. This wrestling becomes essential to the work; a visible, kinetic aspect of their ultimate equilibrium.
In the presence of his paintings, Hawkins hopes the viewer feels the same connection to nature he experiences in his studio—nature as conduit to peace, beauty and quietude. “I hope my paintings issue an invitation to pause and take a moment to experience the energy inherent in the work,” he says. “Forging a connection to calm, silence and stillness is essential in this busy world we live in. To be conscious of that moment and to connect with the self and peacefulness can be liberating!”
Absence of Hurry
Mixed media on panel | 16 x 20 inches
Transformation No. 4
Mixed media on panel | 14 x 11 inches
Mixed media on panel | 20 x 16 inches
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