Variations

 

With the exhibition Variations, Pie Projects presented works by three masters living in New Mexico who were inspired by music, particularly by modern jazz and its framework promoting improvisation around a theme.

The exhibition included Richard Hogan's darkened yet mutedly luminous 'shape paintings,' Paul Bloch's lyrical marble sculptures, and Sam Scott's Brilliant Corners painted in homage to Thelonius Monk.

Widely acclaimed New Mexico painter Richard Hogan is known for his minimalist and spatially-driven works. His paintings are in numerous permanent collections, including the New Mexico Museum of Art, Santa Fe, NM; the Capitol Art Collection, State Capitol, Santa Fe; the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery, Lincoln NE, and the Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson, AZ.

Art critic and historian William Peterson writes "In its sonority, Hogan's color can seem to take on an added physical dimension - like the physical weight of deep organ notes whose resonance you can feel as well as hear."

Santa Fe based artist Paul Bloch has been carving sculptures in marble and limestone for over forty years. He works part-time in Carrara, Italy where he lived for 12 years honing his skills at the Polvaccio quarry where Michealangelo's marbles were mined. Originally from New York, he studied anthropology, music and sculpture in Cleveland, Ohio. He has exhibited widely nationally, as well as in Italy and Switzerland.

“My sculpture is improvisational - my first inspiration was jazz. I learned to treat the stone like a piece of chewing gum which I could pull, push, and bend in any direction.” - Paul Bloch

 

Sam Scott is one of New Mexico’s most celebrated artists. He was among the first artists to represent New Mexico at the Whitney Museum Biennial of Contemporary Art in New York City. His work is in numerous permanent museum collections. He is one of five artists in various media who have been chosen to represent the Capitol Art Collection as a 'State Treasure', in the Capitol Building of Santa Fe, NM.

Reflecting on his 1998-1990 series Brilliant Corners, Scott recently wrote "From time to time, this painter’s creative cycle has required a complete deconstruction of the known self. 'Brilliant Corners’ was one of those times; as in all art, this world exists beyond space, and beyond time. It is filled with velocity and stillness, music, and silence. These great reconciliations offered me transcendence. Thank you, Thelonius Monk."