It must be exhilarating to be F. Scott Hess. The works that comprise his Los Angeles exhibition In Transit demonstrate that Hess has reached the point where his brush can take him just about anywhere he wants to go. The varied subjects, and hybrid realities of Hess' recent paintings make them appear eclectic when seen together, but that just scratches the surface. His works actually have a tremendous psychological unity. They have sprung from the mind of an artist who is recycling and blending the richness of his actual life and infusing it with cultural memory and imaginative vigor.
In the past year or two Hess has dredged up references -- consciously and unconsciously -- from the Bible, Velasquez, Persian poetry, Bellini, Watteau, Sigmund Freud, the experiences of child-rearing, and the experience of being a child. Somehow, all of these things have been internalized, even sorted. "I generally just paint what I see when I'm not looking," Hess comments.
"Art history, popular culture, literature, and the subconscious all simmer together in Scott's skull," observes his friend and fellow artist Peter Zokosky. "Scott's mental salad bar has more choices than anyone's, and he always comes away with something amazing." The mental salad bar that Zokosky refers to is also well stocked with life experiences and travel.
"In Transit" will be the artist's first solo show in Los Angeles in eight years, and his first ever with Koplin Del Rio. The show will include over a dozen recent paintings; including an epic 7 x 12 foot canvas that Hess will complete while the exhibit is on display. The title work, In Transit, will arrive at the gallery in progress and will be painted by Hess at regular hours in the gallery through November and December.
A live video stream of Hess at work in the gallery will be available for viewing via Koplin Del Rio's website.
F. Scott Hess: In Transit
Koplin Del Rio
6031 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232
Exhibition Dates: October 29 - December 22, 2011
Reception for the Artist: Saturday, October 29, 5-8pm
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