Sean Hutton

Sean Hutton

Decatur, GA

Kenyon Class of ’15, Studio Art and History double major

If my art is about anything it is about layers. Each of these layers draws from a different influence and is applied with different methods and materials to reveal the progression of a painting. They appear stylistically diverse but coherent, and thematically unusual but readable.

I have organized the paintings to mimic a comic torn apart and collaged back together, removing any sequential order. The repeated motifs create both coherency and ambiguity while the close juxtaposition of the paintings connects them to their narrative roots. Thus, through motifs and juxtaposition, one painting informs the others. More importantly, the paintings create a sense of place and foster the process of world building, the creation of an imaginary place for narratives to naturally occur. The positioning and stylization of the figures, landscapes, objects, symbols, and abstractions create a sense of consistency amidst an otherwise ungrounded world. At the end of this process lies a world lacking a linear narrative, as the page has been transformed into a map. Beyond that, there is no strict intent or meaning to determine how the paintings are perceived. 

My only hope is that when these paintings are taken in from a distance, the interactions appear spontaneous and sundry, familial yet alien. Here, the viewer should move through the space between and within these interactions via their own intuition and engage with the imagery in a way that possibly reveals a narrative. I have merely created a place for the viewer to travel, to experience independent of my voice or presence, a place where imagery bumps into itself and unravels.

–Sean Hutton, ‘15