Join us at Themes+Projects for a reception for Randy Hayes’ new work, Eccentric Branches.
Artist Statement
When asked if I could sum up my art in one word, culture, was my response. I do not really believe it possible to sum up anyone’s art in one word, but culture seems a good place to begin.
Ancient cultures, vanished civilizations and contemporary cultures all interest me. I find material for my art through travel to other countries and throughout the United States.
My paintings have always been made from photographs that I have taken. When I began to understand that a photographer’s proof sheet is, in effect, a narrative, I began to paint onto grids of my photographs. This subtext of photographs effectively makes memory part of the subject of much of my art.
Artist Bio
Most of my youth was lived with my extended family on a farm near the small town of Clinton, Mississippi. My interest in drawing was encouraged by my relatives. At the age of seventeen I moved with my family to Tupelo, Mississippi where I began to try to teach myself to paint in oil. At Southwestern at Memphis, now Rhodes College, I enrolled in my first art class.
Three experiences influenced my life and art. At the age of nineteen, I took a freighter to Europe with a classmate. On a meagre budget we hitchhiked through seven countries and visited many museums. This experience solidified my desire to become an artist.
In 1970 I relocated to Boston and became a freelance scenic artist. Most of my work was with PBS Television at WGBH. Building, painting and designing sets I learned many skills which have remained important to my art. Working in television studios, on film locations and at concert halls, I became experienced at working on a large scale.
In 1975 I moved to Seattle and began a used and rare book shop with a partner. Within the store I established a gallery and exhibited the work of numerous artists. I also exhibited vintage photography and became steeped in the history of photography.
At the same time, my own art was being exhibited in museums and galleries throughout the United States. I continue to exhibit to this day.
In 2014 I returned to Mississippi to live and work.