"I see my paintings as exploring a space that encompasses both psychology and flesh." - Shayne Hull

"Anus Andronicus" by Shayne Hull, Oil on panel, 30x30in, 2018, SOLD

Since fall of 2017, Shayne Hull has been creating what he calls his "Andronicus" series, “…depicting members of the Trump world as grotesqueries (duh!), with a tenuous thematic connection to the vileness of the world of Titus Andronicus, Shakespeare's infamous political tragedy.”

We saw the first of these in Hull’s last Artebella appearance several months ago, but time has not blunted the edge of his caustic satirical eye. The artist is unsparing in illustrating his contempt for the Contemporary Political Animal, depicting them, with no mercy, as something less than fully human. He is an unabashed Provocateur of the first order.

“As a painter and portraitist, I’m interested in exploring and expressing the notion of (alternate) identity through grotesquerie, physical exaggeration and distortion, and body trauma. Importantly, I want my subjects to appear equally dramatic and humorous. Drawing inspiration from the work of artists like John Currin, David Cronenberg, Robert Williams, Jenny Saville, and Lucien Freud (among others), I see my paintings as exploring a space that encompasses both psychology and flesh.”

"Bild That Wall!" by Shayne Hull, Oil on panel, 32x48in, 2018, $1800

Hull teaches at Trinity High School, and he both inspires and is inspired by the experience: “I gave my students an assignment to create a drawing of their perspective of a social issue important to them. I received one drawing that was so spectacularly bizarre that I told the student, ‘This looks like one of my pieces (which of course meant he got an A+). What if I was to paint it one day?’ He said that would be awesome. So with a few tweaks here and there, here it is! (‘Bild That Wall!’) Thank you, Deke!”

Hull is currently showing these pieces as a part of Politicians and Flesh at Swanson Contemporary through August 11, 2018.

Hull studied painting at Texas A&M and the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), and earned a Master in art education from the University of Louisville. The Kentucky Arts Council has honored Hull with the Kentucky Visions 2004 Purchase Award, an Individual Art Professional Development Grant, and the 1998 Al Smith Artist Fellowship. He also won the Frank F. Weisberg Excellence in Painting Award at the 2003 Water Tower Annual (Louisville, KY).

Hometown: East Moline, Illinois
Education: BFA in Painting, Texas A&M @ Corpus Christi; MFA in Painting, Maryland Institute College of Art; and MAT in Art Education, University of Louisville
Website: http://www.shaynehull.com/
Gallery Representative: Swanson Contemporary (Louisville)