March 2012
HAYDEN MENZIES / PAINTINGS & DRAWINGS
He’s Back !!
March 2 – April 1, 2012 / Vernissage Friday March 2 / 7 – 10pm
The artist will be present from Toronto, on opening night, including a film crew, doing a documentary on the Hayden.
Artist’s Statement
Making things has always been an important aspect of my daily life. Painting and drawing simply became the most effective way for me to create and explore. Using a variety of conventional and unconventional mark making tools such as, acrylic paint, ink, charcoal, oil pastel, rags, water, sand paper, offers the perfect forum to mix these mediums on surfaces such as canvas, wood, metal, and paper. Different combinations of these elements allow me to work quickly and freely, and makes it possible to capture the essence of the subject matter, as well as continue to experiment with the elements to achieve the desired aesthetic affect.
The distressed look to the majority of my work is just as important art he subject matter because it allows the process of the work to be visible in the final stage of the work. It encourages the viewer to look for the various stages in the process of completing a single piece. This transparency is essential to how I work. It forces me to take risks, add a human element to the work as well as a sense of humour. Working heavily with lines and large blocks of colour, seems to be the only way to successfully achieve this level of organized chaos in the art. It is simultaneously dense and empty to allow for the rustic, earthy toned treatment of the overall image.