Hats
Artist
Jane Hammond
(American, born 1950)
Date1993
MediumMixed-media on rice paper
DimensionsImage Size: 34 × 37 1/2 in. (86.4 × 95.3 cm)
ClassificationsDrawing
Credit LineGift of John Hilberry, 2015
Object numberUAC6402
DescriptionFor a work that is very unforgiving on the eyes, not wanting to give them a rest as the large variety of individual components making up the piece demand the attention of the viewer; a bouquet of yellow flowers sits behind a pile of hats varying in size and detail, adorned with a blue butterfly, the figure of a clown in tall pointed cap, busts of individuals of a diverse range of age, gender, and detail in representation all come together in a unified manner in spite of their illogical conglomeration. The rice paper aides in the overall softness of Hammond’s dreamscape as she creates a fairy tale world rich with imaginative imagery referencing a variety of cultural icons. The title “Hats” creates a sort of I-Spy mission for the viewer. The work isn’t inherently about hats nor is their presence dominant within the composition, but they are there, sitting at the forefront of the work, adorning the heads of many of the characters cohabitating within the amalgamous print. Could these multi-functional caps be a comment on the many roles that we as individuals in modern society are asked to perform; the wife, mother, sister, friend, professional swirling together in the mind, seeking one another, commingling, attempting to define a unified sense of self? Or are they just a fanciful motif that allude to the fantastical Alice, her Wonderland, and the whirlwind adventure she takes aided by a top hat wearing mad man? Jane Hammond takes a surrealist approach in many of her works, demonstrating her affections for literature, language, and the compositions of John Cage through her whimsical collages often constructed with found imagery collected from a variety of source material reflecting her many interests. Her aim is to craft pieces “as complicated, inconsistent, varied, multifaceted as you are, as I am, as life is(1).” Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut she studied biology and poetry in addition to visual art at Mount Holyoke College. After graduating in 1972, she went on to obtain M.F.A.s from Arizona State University (1973-74) in ceramics and University of Wisconsin- Madison (1977) in sculpture. Currently, Hammond lives and works in New York City.
Written by Kat Goffnett
(1) Wallach, Amei. “To a Painter, Words Are Worth a Thousand Pictures.” New York Times, 13 Oct. 2002, www.nytimes.com/2002/10/13/arts/art-architecture-to-a-painter-words-are-worth-a-thousand-pictures.html.
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