b. 1939, United States

Richard Jackson Biography

A pre-eminent figure in American contemporary art since the 1970s, Richard Jackson is influenced by both Abstract Expressionism and action painting, exploring a performative painting process which seeks to extend the potential of painting by upending its technical conventions. Born in Sacramento, California in 1939, Jackson first came to international attention with a major presentation of his installation works at the Menil Collection, Houston, in 1988, followed by the 1992 exhibition, Helter Skelter, at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art.

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Jackson's work is process-oriented, and the structural aspect of his installations involves a high level of craftsmanship and engineering. However, the final application of paint is generated through an automated process which Jackson calls 'activation.' He equips his 'painting machines' with a network of pipes and hoses which, when deployed, cause violent eruptions of paint that immerse the work and surrounding area. The finished installations remain in the aftermath of this extreme and unpredictable performative action.

Jackson responds to the high-mindedness of painterly practice by repositioning painting as an everyday experience. For Jackson, paint is not a tool used to create a representational image, but is used as a ubiquitous liquid which is spurted, splattered and sprayed over the surface of his installations.

He draws on the visual lexicon of domestic environments, universal basic human activities, and hallmarks of the quintessential American life such as hunting and sports. By harnessing this imagery and combining it with a physically laborious and conceptually rigorous artistic practice, Jackson has produced a body of work that questions and challenges the structure of the art world at large for over four decades.

Text courtesy Hauser & Wirth.

Richard Jackson
featured artworks

Dick's Big Duck by Richard Jackson contemporary artwork sculpture
Richard Jackson Dick's Big Duck, 2008 Aquaresin, MDF
103.5 x 44 x 52 cm
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Bobble Head Gold by Richard Jackson contemporary artwork sculpture
Richard Jackson Bobble Head Gold, 2015 Bronze, gold plated, steel
223.5 x 73 x 108 cm
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Untitled (Study for Wall Painting for Los Angeles) by Richard Jackson contemporary artwork painting, drawing
Richard Jackson Untitled (Study for Wall Painting for Los Angeles), 1970/2016 Oil and pencil on mylar
94 x 106.7 cm
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Study for STUNGUN by Richard Jackson contemporary artwork painting, works on paper, drawing
Richard Jackson Study for STUNGUN, 2020 Acrylic and pencil on mylar paper
91.4 x 116.8 cm
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Study for HOTSHOT by Richard Jackson contemporary artwork painting, works on paper, drawing
Richard Jackson Study for HOTSHOT, 2022 Acrylic and pencil on mylar paper
77.4 x 106.6 cm
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Paris Puzzle Floor by Richard Jackson contemporary artwork painting, works on paper, drawing
Richard Jackson Paris Puzzle Floor, 2023 Oil and pencil on mylar
106.7 x 101 cm
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HOTSHOT by Richard Jackson contemporary artwork sculpture
Richard Jackson HOTSHOT, 2022 Neon
129 x 177 x 5.6 cm
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Art Fair Party by Richard Jackson contemporary artwork sculpture
Richard Jackson Art Fair Party, 2014 Neon (blue, orange), metal box (yellow, red)
33 x 127 x 11.5 cm
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Richard Jackson
recent exhibitions

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Represented by this
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Hauser & Wirth contemporary art gallery in Hong Kong
Hauser & Wirth Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris +8
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