HUNT SLONEM
Parroting Forms
An upcoming exhibition at Quidley & Co. in Nantucket, Massachusetts, showcases the colorful, abstract works of veteran artist Hunt Slonem. “It’s my annual pilgrimage to Nantucket with a new body of what I’ve been doing for the last year. They’re all unique pieces and have never been shown,” he says. Featuring an array of organic subject matter, from birds to butterflies to rabbits, the show is a continuation of the artist’s exploration and experimentation. Paintings in the exhibition are large scale, many of them measuring around 50 inches in height and 60 inches or longer in width.
His artwork, often depicting wildlife, is rendered in the form of a grid. It's not perfectly uniform, but rather, organic and flowing in nature, with repeating images that seem, at first glance, like copies of one another, but in actuality, are entirely unique.
“Everything I do is kind of a surprise to me,” Slonem says. “It all happens by divine synchronicity.” His color
palettes are varied, some pieces adopting neutral schemes, while others take on vivid assortments of bright hues. Numerous exhibitions throughout the year take Slonem across the country and even overseas at times, providing what seems like endless ideas and inspiration. “All of my travels influence my colors,” he says.
The artist also has about 60 birds, mostly parrots, almost all of them unwanted pets that were given to him. He explains that his birds, which include Amazons, cockatoos and finches, are how he initially began viewing everything as a grid. “I’m a slave to their well-being,” he says. “They’re completely my inspiration and I’ve had one of them, who is 75 years old, for 40-something years.”
Slonem’s latest body of work will be on view at Quidley & Co. from August 9 to 22.
Quidley & Co. 26 Main Street • Nantucket, MA 02554 • (508) 228-4300 • www.quidleyandco.com