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Artwork Description

Kirk Hayes (b. 1958) pushes trompe l’oeil to an almost metaphysical degree. What appears as Modernist assemblages of discarded wood, torn cardboard, and rusted metal are in fact meticulous accumulations of oil paint. Every dent, crease, and chip in the surface is so skillfully worked it belies the dark humor at the heart of every painting. Hayes’ characters and objects are autobiographical stand-ins who are continually left scorched, beaten, and otherwise downtrodden by unseen events. That Hayes spends months flawlessly articulating every imperfection turns each painstaking painting into a meditation on futility and a celebration of the human condition. Kirk Hayes lives and works in Fort Worth, TX. His work has been featured in exhibitions at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Overland Park, KS; the Modern Art Museum, Fort Worth, TX; and The Columbus College of Art & Design, Columbus, OH. His work is included in public collections such as the Dallas Museum of Art, TX; The Blanton Museum of Art, Austin, TX; and the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Overland Park, KS. Hayes is a recent recipient of the Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant. His work has been discussed in Art in America and The New York Times, among others.