WILLIAM C. HOOK Modernist Works
WILLIAM C. HOOK Modernist Works
cover image: Santa Fe No. 19 12x12 acrylic
MEYER GALLERY 225 CANYON ROAD SANTA FE NM 87501 WWW.MEYERGALLERIES.COM 505.983.1434
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 textured surfaces and broad brushstroke of New Mexico and California landscap has expanded his artistic language to ex break down his representational works in first modernist painting series for his 20 work in this catalogue represents Hook’s
landscape for more than 35 years. Vivid color, es characterize his representational paintings pes. Over the past few years, however, Hook xplore a modernist style, creating pieces that nto abstract compositions. Hook unveiled his 018 solo show, “Santa Fe Segue.” The body of s continued evolution of this style of painting.
Santa Fe No. 18 12x16 acrylic
Santa Fe No. 25 12x12 acrylic
William Hook’s modernist abstract vision evolved after an influential trip to the south of France in 2017, 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.
Santa Fe No. 22 12x12 acrylic
Santa Fe No. 20
0 12x24 acrylic
Carmel No. 16 24x18 acrylic
Santa Fe No. 24 12x12 acrylic
Van’s Vase 16x12 acrylic
Hook introduced his modernist abstract paintings in 2018 as direct reflections of representational works. The preceding page shows Van’s Vase, the representational companion to the piece on this page, Carmel No. 15. A drooping red flower, a blue square container, yellow petals and green leaves with light and shadow - both paintings the same, but different.
Carmel No. 15 16x12 acrylic
Carmel No. 14 16x12 acrylic
Santa Fe No. 21 12x12 acrylic
Carmel Beach No. 1 12x12 acrylic
Carmel No. 10 14x18 acrylic
Do Wa Didi 24x24 acrylic
Santa Fe No. 19 12x12 acrylic
Carmel No. 13 12x12 acrylic
Carmel Beach No 1 12x12
$3,400
Carmel No 10
14x18
$4,500
Carmel No 13 12X12
$3,400
Carmel No 14 16x12
$4,100
Carmel No 15
16X12
$4,100
Carmel No 16 24X18
$7,000
Do Wa Didi 24x24
$8,100
Santa Fe No 18 12x16
$4,100
Santa Fe No 19 12x12
$3,400
Santa Fe No 20 12x24
$6,100
Santa Fe No 21 12x12
$3,400
Santa Fe No 22 12X12
$3,400
Santa Fe No 24 12x12
$3,400
Santa Fe No 25 12x12
$3,400
Van’s Vase
$4,100
12x16
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, Dragoon, 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
Modernist Works 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
MEYER GALLERY 225 CANYON ROAD SANTA FE NM 87501 WWW.MEYERGALLERIES.COM 505.983.1434