Hollis Taggart is pleased to participate in the 2022 edition of the Hamptons Fine Art Fair, New York and Southport Connecticut-based gallery Hollis Taggart will present a focused selection of work by Francis Mattson Hines (1920-2016) in booth 414 as well as works by Audrey Flack, Albert Kotin and Michael (Corinne) West in booth 105.
Francis Hines was an artist known for his wrapped paintings, sculptures and public art projects, especially the wrapping of the Washington Square Arch in 1980. Hollis Taggart Southport recently hosted a highly publicised and expansive exhibition of his work titled Unwrapping the Mystery of New York's Wrapper.
The majority of the works the gallery will be presenting are 'wrapped' paintings. Hines is the first artist to wrap his paintings. After painting large sheets of Arches paper with hardpoint pastel, he mounted them to a wooden board. That firm support allowed him to anchor his nylon fabric and stretch it tightly across the painting, just as he did in his sculptures. While the final works appear to be born from abstract expressionism, one can discern Hines' fascination with cars. The artist was inspired by the many cars abandoned after crashes near his Manhattan studio on West Street. Hines also explored the convergence of humans and machines, binding abstract corporeal and mechanical images together with synthetic fabric.
The work presented by Abstract painter Albert Kotin was produced between the late 1940s and mid 1960s. Kotin studied with Hans Hofmann and was an active member of the storied Eighth Street Club, a circle of artists in lower Manhattan that included Franz Kline, Willem de Kooning, and James Rosati. In addition to Kotin, we will present a focused selection of works on paper and paintings by Michael (Corinne) West, the Abstract Expressionist painter whom the gallery has championed over the past several years. We will also have a small selection of works by gallery artist Audrey Flack from her Abstract Expressionist period.