Transcending: Work by Mikey Hernandez

Works by Mikey Hernandez

On view March 24 – April 29, 2023

We invite the community to an opening reception at Arts Fort Worth on Friday, April 7 from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. for the exhibition Transcending, works by Mikey Hernandez.

“I make process driven, large-scale, non-representational works on paper. Because my works are process-driven, discussing the process is essential. I started each piece with a wet-on-wet technique using watercolor, ink, gouache and water to create a pathway of color, forms and textures. When I was finished, I walked away and allowed the pigment to shift, water to evaporate and for the painting to dry. This was exhilarating as I worked with a process that allowed me to have control and relinquish control. When I returned, I decided if the first stage achieved the results I wanted. If it didn’t, I put the artwork to the side and started again. Once I achieved the results that I wanted, I responded intuitively to the color and marks made on the paper by using chalk pastels, colored pencils or charcoal to create more depth and implied textures. In the end, my paintings turn into an enigma, a topographical or cosmic-like landscape that also mimicked a microscopic world. Through scale, composition and mystery, my aim is to facilitate a space where the viewer can experience the sublime. Just like I allow the materials to find their way, I allow the viewer to find their way. These works are more than a process-driven means to achieve an outcome. I would not say that they are about meditation, but I feel my artwork is akin to my meditation process. Both in my meditations and artwork, I intuitively work on areas in hopes for growth and a better outcome by the end.”