The William H. Van Every and Edward M. Smith Galleries play a fundamental role in the life of Davidson College. The Galleries support the academic mission of the College through the presentation, interpretation, and discussion of primarily contemporary artworks in all media. Gallery exhibitions and programs nurture individual thinking, develop visual literacy, and inspire a lifelong commitment to the arts. Van Every/Smith Galleries Katherine and Tom Belk Visual Art Center 315 North Main Street, Davidson, NC 28035 704.894.2519 www.davidsoncollegeartgalleries.org Gallery Hours: Monday–Friday 10am–5pm Saturday & Sunday, 12–4pm while classes are in session Lia Newman, Director/Curator, linewman@davidson.edu Rosemary Gardner, Assistant Curator, rogardner@davidson.edu
Scott Hazard Cultivations Endless Sea, 2011, Ash wood, paper, text
Artist Biography Scott Hazard was born in San Diego, California and currently resides in Raleigh, North Carolina. He received a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree with an emphasis on sculpture, photography, and video from the University of Florida at Gainesville. Hazard’s work has been exhibited recently at the Indianapolis Art Center, Indianapolis, IN; Second Street Gallery, Charlottesville, VA; Flanders Gallery, Raleigh, NC; Roanoke College, Salem, VA; Goucher College, Baltimore, MD; the Atlantic Center for the Arts, New Smyrna Beach, FL; Greenhill, Greensboro, NC; and upcoming at the Contemporary Art Museum, Raleigh, NC. His work has been featured in a number of magazines and online publications, including Glamcult, BOOOOOOOM, Juxtapoz, Hi-Fructose, and Colossal. Hazard is the recipient of a 2012–2013 Artist Fellowship in Visual Arts from the North Carolina Arts Council.
Publication © 2013 All rights reserved. Essay by Lia Newman © 2013 Images: Scott Hazard and Jason Dowdle This publication was produced in conjunction with Cultivations, featuring the work of Scott Hazard, presented at Davidson College’s Smith Gallery, August 26–October 11, 2013. Design: Graham McKinney Printing: ImageMark cover: Heavy Rocks, detail, 2013, Maple, paper, text
SMITH GALLERY THE VAN EVERY/SMITH GALLERIES
Scott Hazard Cultivations
defines the viewing parameters and limits external distractions. By literally framing the viewer’s field of vision, Hazard’s desire to create an intimate world, intended solely for an isolated viewer, is realized. All of the works presented in Cultivations feature words, repeatedly printed or stamped, along the top edge of several sheets of paper. Hazard tears, places, and then adjusts each paper to create an undulating, three-dimensional, topographic micro landscape. It is during the tearing process that Hazard allows for some spontaneity. Though he begins each work with a general, predetermined shape in mind, he can never precisely predict this part of the process. In Endless Sea, Hazard repeatedly printed the word “endless” across each paper. Along with the numerous wooden frames, the choice of text acknowledges the many ways in which one idea may be perceived, understood, or contextualized – a Buddhist notion of particular interest to the artist.
Catch and Release (shown closed on left; open on right), 2011, Maple, paper, text
Scott Hazard Cultivations Scott Hazard’s recent text-based works combine the artist’s interests in sculpture, landscape, and phenomenology. Though his works are quite technical to construct, he balances predominantly methodical, planned actions with some careful, spontaneous gestures. Each work of art, whether installed on the wall or placed upon a pedestal, functions much like a Zen garden – an intimate, contemplative space. Text, printed or stamped on multiple layers of paper, contained within a structured framework, helps draw the viewer into the work, insisting on extended observation. Hazard’s works are quiet; each one is a brief departure or temporary escape from reality. Despite this overall sense of calmness, the works are technically rigorous in construction. Each piece relies on an individualized wooden structure to contain a careful composition of several layers of torn paper. In Endless Sea, forty-three constructed ash wood rectangular frames hold an equal number of sheets of paper, precisely 5/8” apart. The wooden structure is more than simply functional; conceptually, the overarching framework, measuring ten inches high, eighteen inches wide, and twenty-three inches deep,
In Catch and Release, the framework is a literal interpretation of the title. The wooden structure folds up, similar to a Murphy bed. When the piece is closed, it’s inaccessible; Hazard normally displays the work in the “released” position – opened and accessible. In this state, the word “release” is visible on the torn papers. The formation of the text – a meandering river in a paper landscape – refers back to the title, often considered to be a more environmentally-friendly recreational fishing practice. Catch and Release speaks to both access and restriction – perhaps in regard to communication, relationships, and even conservation. The river may symbolize one’s journey through life, and the two possible arrangements of the piece – opened or closed – may represent the corresponding mental states. The “catch” or closed position indicates critique and assessment, while the typical display position represents non-judgmental observation and learning. While both considerations are important, choosing to display the work in the “released” position may indicate the artist’s support of a more open state of mind, as well as the importance of letting go for the greater good. Just as there is an intended vantage point for the consideration of a Zen garden, so too are there pre-determined views for Hazard’s works. Though pedestal works such as Endless Sea can be viewed from all sides, Hazard attempts to control the viewpoint by placing text on only one side of the papers. Despite their dimensionality, Hazard restricts access to some parts of his works by choosing to hang them on the gallery wall. Each work is hung at the height the artist considers optimal for viewing. It is only at the appropriate height that the minimal text in A Little Quiet II, 2013, Maple, paper, text
Reveal, for example, is barely evident, connecting the structure and viewpoint to the overall concept of the work. In many of his wall-hung pieces Hazard has eliminated the overarching framework, such as those used in Endless Sea and Field. Instead, in works such as A Little Quiet II, Heavy Rocks, and + /–, the raw edges of the papers are exposed. Despite the minimized wooden structures, the edges are still defined – straight, even, and precise. Overall, however, the works elucidate openness, approachability, and expansiveness. Text is just another medium for Hazard, + /– , detail, 2012, Ash wood, paper, text similar to wood or paper. This materiality is more obvious perhaps in a work such as + /– . Plus and minus symbols are stamped repeatedly, dense in some areas, light in others. The uneven quality of the ink – ranging from dark black to pale gray, with some areas left unstamped – creates texture, depth, variety, and movement. Hazard’s intent is for the viewer to experience each work kinesthetically, looking both at and through the piece. In addition to composing many layers of paper to create literal space and depth, changing the words throughout the piece and altering the quality of the stamping, serve to pull the viewer deeper into the work. In Field, for example, the words “enter,” “terrain,” “field,” and “entertain” are all legible, with the word “enter” printed toward the opening (and lowest point) of the composition. The viewer can’t help but repeat the words, speaking to oneself, eyes moving first across the page and then back to subsequent layers of paper. Though not complete sentences, the text reads like a poetic mantra, a meditation, or an affirmation. In reiteration, there is truth – and repose. In his role as a landscape designer, Hazard considers the environment on a daily basis, particularly the feel, performance, and function of exterior spaces. He has an interest in healing gardens – spaces that are known to positively alter one’s mindset and increase the rate at which a patient can heal. This interest has crept into Hazard’s sculptural works as well. He posits each of his works as a miniature meditation garden – a constructed moment of quiet solitude. Hazard’s hope is that the viewer will “step in, access the work, and then step back into the world,” with a sense of renewal, hope, and calmness. – Lia Newman, Director/Curator