William C. Hook
Santa Fe Segue N o2 | A One Man Show
Williamo C. Hook
Santa Fe Segue N 2 | A One Man Show August 2-8, 2019
Cover: (detail) Carmel No. 1 acrylic 36x36 Left: (detail) November Casa acrylic 24x24
Meyer Gallery
225 Canyon Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico www.meyergalleries.com
The American landscape is William Hook’s inspiration. Large skies, low horizons, distant mountains, and textured foregrounds are expressed in his paintings with broad brushstrokes of vivid color. His work is distinctive and stands out from the crowd of today’s genre of landscape painters. The magazines Southwest Art, Art of the West, U.S. Art, American Artist, and Focus Santa Fe have featured Hook’s work in cover articles that proclaim his importance as a leading landscape painter. The book, Leading the West by Donald Hagerty, features William Hook as one of the notable influence on the western art scene. In addition, publishers Harper-Collins and North Light have included his work in numerous books written about the contemporary art process in Europe and America. William Hook’s background in art began at home. It was through the influence of his father and grandmother, a professional photographer and architect respectively, that art became second nature to him. Other family members were art historian Bainbridge Bunting, prominent Italian painters Gino and Bertha Venanzi, as well as Pulitzer Prize winning author, Willa Cather. When the discussion of art arose at the Hook household, there was never a lack of opinions and interests. “I was always encourage to try new media, and that is one reason why I still paint in acrylic. My grandmother would find materials in art stores or would have read about a newly developed medium and I would be the art quinea pig”. After having attended classes at the Kansas Art Institute, Hook left his hometown of Kansas City to continue his study of fine art at the University of New Mexico. Hook went on to complete his formal education at the Universita Per Straniere (Perugia, Italy) and the Art Center College of Design (Los Angeles, CA). It was his time spent in New Mexico where the scenery made an indelible impression on the aspiring artist, so much so, that he returned to make it his home and frequent subject. “I have painted all over the United States and Europe and continue to find New Mexico at the center of my work”. Mr. Hook’s paintings can be found in the permanent collections of the Denver Art Museum, the Tucson Art Museum, the University of New Mexico, the FORBES Museum, NYC, and the Genesee Museum, NY. In addition, Hook’s work is featured in prints for the New Mexico Symphony, Music from Angel Fire, and the Santa Fe Opera.
William Hook has painted the American landscape for more than 35 years. Vivid color, textured surfaces and broad brushstrokes characterize his representational paintings of New Mexico and California landscapes. Over the past few years, however, Hook has expanded his artistic language to explore a modernist style, creating pieces that break down his representational works into abstract compositions.
Plaster Blaster acrylic 24x24
Hook unveiled his first modernist painting series for his 2018 solo show, “Santa Fe Segue.” This year, “Santa Fe Segue No. 2” represents the continued evolution of this style as William Hook presents abstract studies as well as larger works that directly respond to his representational pieces.
Bruno Study acrylic 12x12
Aspen Addition acrylic 24x18 previous page: Res Horses acrylic 18x36
Santa Fe No. 15 acrylic 24x18
Navajo Coverup acrylic 12x12
Carmel No. 4, Study acrylic 12x12
Open acrylic 12x12
Carmel No. 2, Study acrylic 12x12
Snake X-ing acrylic 24x24 previous page: Plane Trigonometry acrylic 12x24
November Casa acrylic 24x24
Creek Colors acrylic 12x12
Slow Walker acrylic 12x12
Family Rift acrylic 12x12
Carmel No. 1, Study acrylic 12x12
O’Keefe Cliffs acrylic 24x30
Red All About It acrylic 24x24
3 Bird Ranchito acrylic 18x24
October Aspen acrylic 12x12 Previous page: Sea of Grass acrylic 18x36
Porch View acrylic 12x12
Winter’s Day acrylic 12x12
A.M. Cliffs acrylic 12x12
“The palette is similar, I’m just taking bits and pieces and rearranging them in an abstract way,” says Hook of the relationship between his modern and traditional painting styles. Viewers will witness this segue when viewing “Carmel No. 1’’ next to “Family Rift”; “Carmel No. 2” next to “Open;” “Santa Fe No. 15” next to “Aspen Addition;” and more. Although Hook’s abstract pieces are inspired by realist imagery, he discourages viewers from attempting to decipher them with a literal eye. “It’s nothing more than an inspiration to go further,” says Hook of his source imagery.
Carmel No. 1 acrylic 36x36
William Hook’s abstract vision evolved after an influential trip to the south of France last September, where he studied master modern artists such as Picasso, Chagall, Matisse and Miró. While Hook was influenced by their styles, he remains committed to his individual journey as an artist. “I don’t want to paint like somebody who went before – I want to grow from their experience and make something else,” he says.
Carmel No. 7 acrylic 36x36
This “segue to modern” has been a bold step for an established traditional artist such as Hook – but also a rewarding one. “It’s been a much more cerebral process – almost like an out of body experience,” he says. “I’ve been painting traditionally for 35 years now; entering into something new is a different mind set altogether.”
Carmel No. 2 acrylic 36x36
It’s been a much more cerebral process – almost like an out of body experience, I’ve been painting traditionally for 35 years now; entering into something new is a different mind set altogether.
-William Hook
Carmel No. 6 acrylic 36x36
Portal Still Life acrylic 24x30 previous page: Moonlight acrylic 12x24
Lily Light acrylic 12x12
Santa Fe No. 11 acrylic 48x48
Untitled oil 12x12
Aspen Conspiracy acrylic 12x12 previous page: Roadside Chamisa acrylic 12x24
Carmel Study No. 3, Study acrylic 12x12
Four Hills acrylic 12x12
Carmel No. 5, Study acrylic 12x12
Saguaro Junta acrylic 12x12
Santa Fe No 14 acrylic 12x12
English Summer acrylic 24x24
Santa Fe No. 13 acrylic 12x12 next page: Storm Chasers acrylic 12x24
William C. Hook Plaster Blaster Bruno Study Res Horses Aspen Addition Santa Fe No 15 Navajo Cover Up Carmel No 4, Study Open Carmel No 2, Study Plane Trigonometry Snake Xing November Casa Creek Colors Slow Walker Family Rift Carmel No 1, Study O’Keefe Cliffs Red All About It 3 Bird Ranchito Sea Of Grass October Aspen Prch View Winter’s Day A.M. Cliffs
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Santa Fe Segue N o2 | A One Man Show Carmel No 1 Carmel No 7 Carmel No 2 Carmel No 6 Moonlight Portal Still Life Lily Light Santa Fe No 11 Road Side Chamisa Aspen Conspiracy Carmel Study No 3 Four Hills Carmel Study No 5 Saguaro Junta English Summer Santa Fe No 13 Storm Chasers Softset
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William C. Hook EDUCATION 1970-72 Art Center College of Design - Los Angeles, CA 1969 Universita Italiana per Straniere - Perugia, Italy 1966-70 BFA, Fine Art - University of New Mexico - Albuquerque, NM 1963-66 Kansas City Art Institute - Kansas City, MO SELECTED INVITATIONAL & MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS 2014 “Windows to the Divine” Colorado Dominican Vocation Foundation National Invitational - Denver, CO 2013 Friends of Western Art - Artists of the Year Invitational - Amerind Museum, Drag oon, AZ David Cook Galleries - Art of the National Parks - Denver, CO 2012 Autry Center of the American West - California Art Club 101st Annual Gold Medal Juried Exhibition - Los Angeles, CA Saks Galleries – Small Gems - 100 Artists From Across America American Art Invitational - Denver, CO The Albuquerque Museum Foundation – Miniatures/ & More 2012 Invitational Show – Albuquerque, NM California Art Club - Monumental Miniatures III - Signature Artist Member Invitational - Pasadena, CA MUSEUM COLLECTIONS Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum – Tucson, AZ The Denver Art Museum - Denver, CO The Forbes Museum - New York, NY Genesee Museum - Mumford, NY Pioneer's Museum - Colorado Springs, CO The Tucson Art Museum - The John Goodman Collection - Tucson, AZ The University of New Mexico Fine Arts Museum - Albuquerque, NM AWARDS/HONORS 2014 Windows to the Divine - Artist of the Year Award 2013 Friends of Western Art - Artist of the Year Award 2013 Mountain Oyster Club – Wieghorst Award, Members voted Best in Show 2008 Mountain Oyster Club – Wieghorst Award, Members voted Best in Show 2005 Artist-in-Residence - Big Sur Land Trust/Brazil Ranch – Big Sur, CA 2004 Music From Angel Fire Chamber Music Festival - Featured Poster Artist 2003 Carmel Plein Air Festival - Best Local Artist 2002 Carmel Plein Air Festival - Honorable Mention 2000 Carmel Plein Air Festival - co-winner Best of Show 2000 Artists of America - Master Artist Award
DISTINCTIVE COLLECTIONS AOL/Time Warner - New York, NY Banc One - Denver, CO Blockbuster Video Headquarters - Houston, TX Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher – New York, NY Guarantee Bank and Trust - Denver, CO Erivan & Helga Haub Western Art Collection – Wiesbaden, Germany FORBES Magazine – New York, NY Founders Asset Management, Inc. - Denver, CO Holland and Hart, Attys. -at-law - Denver, CO Indonesian Secretary of State Raymond James Collection - Dallas, TX R.J. Bank and Company, Inc. - Tampa, FL Texaco World Headquarters – New York, NY World Trade Center - Los Angeles, CA SPECIAL COMMISSIONS Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum - Tucson, AZ Affiliated Bank Shares of Colorado - Denver, CO AmFirst Bank – Denver, CO Bank of Ireland – Dublin, Ireland Chevron Corporation - San Francisco, CA Denver Convention Center - Denver, CO First National Bank of Colorado Springs - Colorado Springs, CO Metro Bank - Denver, CO Texaco International Headquarters - New York, NY
William C. Hook
Softset acrylic 12x16
Santa Fe Segue N o 2 | A One Man Show August 2-8, 2019
Artist Reception Friday, August 2, 5-7 PM
MEYER GALLERY
225 Canyon Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 505.983.1434 www.meyergalleries.com