Charlie Hunter’s paintings are different yet familiar, a function of his nearly monochromatic palette and his sharp and somewhat unconventional worldview. This detail, taken from one of the pieces now on view at Vermont Artisan Designs in Brattleboro, Vermont, is representative of his vision. What’s the story behind it?
“Bellows Falls Canal,” by Charlie Hunter, 2013, oil on panel, 4 x 12 in. Courtesy of Vermont Artisan Designs, Brattleboro, Vermont.
“From time immemorial — through bravura wonder workers like Sargent and on into today — painters have loved the illusion of photographic detail that a seemingly random collection of made marks can create,” says Hunter. “In this plein air piece, painted one afternoon overlooking the power canal in my hometown of Bellows Falls, Vermont, I derived great satisfaction from looking at the varying degrees of believability that brushes, a window squeegee, Stim-U-Dents, Q-tips, frame keys, Bounty paper towels, and a pile of dreary-hued, week-old water-mixable oil paint can create. Up close: a big mess. From a distance: an industrial town on a summer afternoon. Fun.”
This painting and 14 more pieces from Hunter will be on display at his solo show, titled “Past Forward,” which is now on view. Visit the website of Vermont Artisan Designs for more information.
