Watch The Sunset With Me
"Sunsets are alluring. The kaleidoscope of colors that appear at the end of the day are one of the most compelling images in our everyday world. Bradley Hankey is a master at painting skies. As an artist, he has the rare ability to turn pigment into glowing light. His paintings are luminous fields that shine with a vibrant energy. They pulse and move, as if they were alive. Each painting captures a different type of light and was inspired by a specific sky, seen at a unique time and place. In Hankey's hands, they become universal symbols of transcendent tranquility. They define the special beauty of Los Angeles.
"The artist created these paintings to celebrate his adopted city. They all arose from actual sunsets he saw and captured with his cell phone. Skies are the dominant feature in these paintings, but they are not the only elements. He also includes parts of the surrounding landscape—buildings, street lights, palm trees. His settings remind us that he is painting quintessential Los Angeles. The blend of open space, with just hints of our urban environment, add charm. They tell us that these are our landscapes, parts of our everyday lives.
"These paintings reflect Hankey's love affair with Southern California. A native of Oregon, he grew up under the dark, gray skies of the Pacific Northwest. After attending art school at the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston, he moved to the west coast and settled in Los Angeles. His deep affection for his adopted home is recorded in his art. Although each image began with something seen at a particular moment, he transforms his source into something timeless.
"Hankey's paintings are the result of a laborious process, where he builds up color, one layer at a time. With each successive step, he adds thin films of paint, applied in an array of techniques. In the end, the multiple layers fuse optically to create a luminous field. The final image has a gently shimmering quality that must be seen in person to be fully appreciated. His paintings are pure visual poetry."
Michael Zakian
Director
Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art
Pepperdine University