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JO HAY RABBITUDE
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JO HAYRABBITUDE
Jo Hay2014 – 2016
“As a figurative painter, I initially imagined the rabbit paintings would be purely experimen-tal. I very quickly realized that they are equally relevant portraits in themselves. My work is dependent on a variety of paint marks made with different sized brushes and tools. Along with color, the scale and position of these marks is responsible for the vigorous visual activity that I want in all of my work. The rabbits are a place for me to find new ways of constructing a living figure without being concerned with likeness or gender. Instead it forces me to closely examine each rabbit’s personality differences to make each portrait unique. This focused study also helps me to achieve strong anatomical structure and it gives me time to contem-plate my unequivocal belief in animal consciousness”.
– Jo Hay
Jo Hay’s Rabbitude Featured at the Lionheart GalleryNew Exhibition opens on March 20, 2016 through May 1, 2016
Pound Ridge, New York – (February 10, 2016) British figurative painter Jo Hay studied and worked in Manhattan for years—including a run as Art Director for Elle Decor, when she was instrumental in launching the Paris-based magazine in New York—before making her current home in Provincetown, Massachusetts. She is widely known for large-scale paint-ings that explore sexuality, gender, and identity, as in her self-portrait Dodger which placed as a finalist in the 2015 BP Portrait Award. Hay is fascinated by human psychological and biological perception of gender, and her interest in subjects with both male and female char-acteristics was first inspired by the glittering androgyny of British glam rock musicians in the nineteen-seventies.
Rabbitude marks a departure from these portraits; it showcases new works in a series that Hay has been dabbling in since her graduate school days at the New York Academy of Art. “I initially imagined the rabbit paintings would be purely experimental,” she says of her first examples painted in 2010, calling them a reaction to long hours studying traditional figurative painting. “I very quickly realized that they are equally relevant portraits in themselves.”
Hay calls the rabbits an exercise in finding new ways to construct figures without concern for likeness or gender. They help her to deal purely with form, space, and anatomy, and she closely considers each animal’s personality differences to make every painting unique. Rab-bits also have powerful symbolic associations for Hay. “My mother gave me a soft toy rabbit on the day I was born that I still have today…aside from being a symbol of great comfort, I see traits of the rabbit personality in my own, especially when making paintings. I relate to their alert, edgy energy and the constant vigilance required to always remain nimble enough to get in and out of fluctuating situations.”
“Jo Hay is a wonderful, expressionistic painter who will take you down a rabbit hole into a magical warren,” says Lionheart Gallery Director Susan Grissom. “If you have ever been lucky enough to know a rabbit and their moods and emotions, you will see that Jo paints them in such a way that you can identify their distinct personalities. While Rabbitude features portraits of many sizes, they all have such a strong presence in the gallery that when visitors see them we often hear a loud gasp and then giggles.”
Hay’s dynamic painting style incorporates a range of marks made with different sized brushes and tools, which lends a charged air of activity to her canvases. In her own words, “Pre-senting a full range of calligraphic difference in painting is like playing with a full orchestra. Imagine hearing a symphony played on a single violin!” The same can be said of her color choices, which are clean mixes. She only uses primary colors and white, maintaining firm control over relationships between hues. The result is an often unexpected meld of shades, as in her new triptych—Ziggy, Major Tom, and Blackstar—where black and brown rabbits are articulated in swatches of cerulean, moss, peach, persimmon, and slate.
“Overall I am looking for a mixture of harmony and disharmony, the decorous and the vul-gar, the predictable and the unpredictable, all to maintain strong visual interest for the view-er,” she says, noting recent inspirations in the paintwork and color choices of Philip Guston, Dana Schutz, and Jenny Saville.
The portraits in Rabbitude pulse with life. “I have found when painting living creatures that there is an alchemical moment that occurs usually in the middle of the painting,” Hay muses. “It is no longer just a set of particular paint marks but instead the image suddenly feels alive to the point that I experience a quietly disarming sense of it taking a breath.”
View Rabbitude by Jo Hay at the Lionheart Gallery’s Exhibition, opening March 20, 2016 and running through May 1, 2016, Wednesday through Saturday, from 11 AM to 5 PM, and Sunday from 12 noon to 4 PM. For more information and directions to the gallery at 27 Westchester Avenue in Pound Ridge, New York, visit www.thelionheartgallery.com or call 914 764 8689.
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RABBITUDE
Blackstar, 2016
60” x 48”Oil on Canvas
6
Major Tom, 2016
60” x 48”Oil on Canvas
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8
Ziggy, 2016
60” x 48”Oil on Canvas
9
Blue Jean, 2016
60” x 48”Oil on Canvas
10
Starman, 2016
60” x 48”Oil on Canvas
11
Gilly, 2016
60” x 48”Oil on Canvas
12
The Thin White Duke, 2016
60” x 48”Oil on Canvas
13
Aladdin Sane, 2016
48” x 36”Oil on Canvas
14
China Girl, 2016
48” x 36”Oil on Canvas
15
Dylan, 2016
14” x 11”Oil on Canvas
16
Hermione, 2016
14” x 11”Oil on Canvas
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Little Wendy, 2016
14” x 11”Oil on Canvas
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Little Wonder, 2016
14” x 11”Oil on Canvas
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Rocket Man, 2016
14” x 11”Oil on Canvas
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Nelson, 2014
30” x 24”Oil on Canvas
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Hercules, 2014
30” x 24”Oil on Canvas
22
Zephyr, 2014
48” x 36”Oil on Canvas
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Simon Profile, 2014
30” x 24”Oil on Canvas
Simon Standing, 2014
30” x 24”Oil on Canvas
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EXHIBITIONPHOTOS
Jo Hay’s RABBITUDE, 2016
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Jo Hay’s RABBITUDE, 2016
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Jo Hay’s RABBITUDE, 2016
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Jo Hay’s RABBITUDE, 2016
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Jo Hay’s RABBITUDE, 2016
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Jo Hay’s RABBITUDE, 2016
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March 20, 2016Opening of Jo Hay’s RABBITUDE
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March 20, 2016Opening of Jo Hay’s RABBITUDE
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March 20, 2016Opening of Jo Hay’s RABBITUDE
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March 20, 2016Opening of Jo Hay’s RABBITUDE
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March 20, 2016Opening of Jo Hay’s RABBITUDE
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March 20, 2016Opening of Jo Hay’s RABBITUDE
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EDITORIALARTSY
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From the High Line to a Rabbit Warren, Two PaintersExplore Human and Animal Nature
ARTSYAPR 21ST, 2016 12:45 AM
If you’ve ever walked along the High Line—the elevated promenade builton an abandoned railroad spur on Manhattan’s west side—you’veprobably experienced the strange thrill of peering into someone else’sapartment. It’s an unsettling feeling, something like looking at fishswimming in a bowl or an animal enclosed in a well-appointed cage.
That voyeuristic rush seeps into two painting exhibitions currentlyshowing at the Lionheart Gallery in Pound Ridge, New York. Granted, therabbits of Jo Hay’s “Rabbitude” aren’t actually in cages, and no one feelsbad for citizens lucky enough to live in the lush apartments and condosalong the High Line (those residents make up Serge Strosberg’s “Tales ofthe High Line”). Nevertheless, both shows offer windows into human (andanimal) lives.
Indeed, many of Strosberg’s paintings are almost disturbingly intimate. Inpieces like Lust or Julia Under the Red Spotlight, subjects are vulnerable andpartly disrobed; viewers might feel like they’re trespassing. Not to worry:Though the paintings are based on Strosberg’s real-life photographs, theartist used his own models on location. “I took many pictures in locationsthat were sometimes adventurous,” he has said.
The Afterparty pictures a young woman relaxing on a balcony—a sceneyou’ll likely glimpse on a cool summer night in New York or any othercity. Some of Strosberg’s paintings, like Hopper Highline or The IACBuilding, are less personal and more architectural. Viewed together, thepaintings capture the grit and glamour of the High Line, “a surrealistplace,” Strosberg has said, “where you have plants, glass, reflections, andsilence from traffic in a city where it is hard to find oxygen. To me, theHigh Line is a breath of oxygen and almost a fantasy area.”
Hay, meanwhile, has traditionally focused on human subjects as well, so“Rabbitude” signifies something of a departure for the British figurativepainter. Still, her lush, large-scale rabbit portraits could be seen as anextension of her ongoing exploration of sexuality, gender, and identity.After all, each subject seems to have its own personality: Blue Jean andBlackstar are distinct from, say, The Thin White Duke (all 2016; and yes,each rabbit seems to have a David Bowie–inspired name).
Hay’s recent paintings draw a parallel between human and animalconsciousness. “I relate to their alert, edgy energy,” she has said, “and theconstant vigilance required to always remain nimble enough to get in andout of fluctuating situations.” Atop the High Line, those same edgyenergies and fluctuating situations are available in ample supply.
—Bridget Gleeson
“Tales of the High Line” and “Rabbitude” are on view at the LionheartGallery, Pound Ridge, New York, Mar 20–May 1, 2016.
Follow the Lionheart Gallery on Artsy.
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From the High Line to a Rabbit Cage, Two PaintersExplore Human and Animal Nature
ARTSYAPR 21ST, 2016 12:45 AM
If you’ve ever walked along the High Line—the elevated promenade builton an abandoned railroad spur on Manhattan’s west side—you’veprobably experienced the strange thrill of peering into someone else’sapartment. It’s an unsettling feeling, something like looking at fishswimming in a bowl or an animal enclosed in a well-appointed cage.
That voyeuristic rush seeps into two painting exhibitions currentlyshowing at the Lionheart Gallery in Pound Ridge, New York. Granted, therabbits of Jo Hay’s “Rabbitude” aren’t actually in cages, and no one feelsbad for citizens lucky enough to live in the lush apartments and condosalong the High Line (those residents make up Serge Strosberg’s “Tales ofthe High Line”). Nevertheless, both shows offer windows into human (andanimal) lives.
Indeed, many of Strosberg’s paintings are almost disturbingly intimate. Inpieces like Lust or Julia Under the Red Spotlight, subjects are vulnerable andpartly disrobed; viewers might feel like they’re trespassing. Not to worry:Though the paintings are based on Strosberg’s real-life photographs, theartist used his own models on location. “I took many pictures in locationsthat were sometimes adventurous,” he has said.
The Afterparty pictures a young woman relaxing on a balcony—a sceneyou’ll likely glimpse on a cool summer night in New York or any othercity. Some of Strosberg’s paintings, like Hopper Highline or The IACBuilding, are less personal and more architectural. Viewed together, thepaintings capture the grit and glamour of the High Line, “a surrealistplace,” Strosberg has said, “where you have plants, glass, reflections, andsilence from traffic in a city where it is hard to find oxygen. To me, theHigh Line is a breath of oxygen and almost a fantasy area.”
Hay, meanwhile, has traditionally focused on human subjects as well, so“Rabbitude” signifies something of a departure for the British figurativepainter. Still, her lush, large-scale rabbit portraits could be seen as anextension of her ongoing exploration of sexuality, gender, and identity.After all, each subject seems to have its own personality: Blue Jean andBlackstar are distinct from, say, The Thin White Duke (all 2016; and yes,each rabbit seems to have a David Bowie–inspired name).
Hay’s recent paintings draw a parallel between human and animalconsciousness. “I relate to their alert, edgy energy,” she has said, “and theconstant vigilance required to always remain nimble enough to get in andout of fluctuating situations.” Atop the High Line, those same edgyenergies and fluctuating situations are available in ample supply.
—Bridget Gleeson
“Tales of the High Line” and “Rabbitude” are on view at the LionheartGallery, Pound Ridge, New York, Mar 20–May 1, 2016.
Follow the Lionheart Gallery on Artsy.
� � �
Olga's World, 2016Serge Strosberg
The Lionheart Gallery
The Standard HotelSerge Strosberg
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Blackstar, 2016 The Thin White Duke, 2016Jo Hay
The Lionheart Gallery
Jo Hay
The Lionheart Gallery
���
� Search…� ARTISTS ARTWORKS FAIRS AUCTIONS MAGAZINE MORE LOG IN SIGN UP
Want help collecting on Artsy?
Contact an Artsy specialist
General questions & feedback?
Contact Artsy
Send us feedback
COLLECTING
Collecting on Artsy
Collecting Resources
About Artsy Auctions
EDUCATION
Education
The Art Genome Pro…
ABOUT ARTSY
About
Jobs
Open Source
Galleries A–Z
Museums A–Z
PARTNERING & PRESS
Artsy for Galleries
Artsy for Institutions
Artsy for Auctions
Press
� © 2016 Artsy Terms of Use Privacy Policy Security ���
WHAT TO READ NEXT
SHARE ARTICLE
From the High Line to a Rabbit Cage, Two PaintersExplore Human and Animal Nature
ARTSYAPR 21ST, 2016 12:45 AM
If you’ve ever walked along the High Line—the elevated promenade builton an abandoned railroad spur on Manhattan’s west side—you’veprobably experienced the strange thrill of peering into someone else’sapartment. It’s an unsettling feeling, something like looking at fishswimming in a bowl or an animal enclosed in a well-appointed cage.
That voyeuristic rush seeps into two painting exhibitions currentlyshowing at the Lionheart Gallery in Pound Ridge, New York. Granted, therabbits of Jo Hay’s “Rabbitude” aren’t actually in cages, and no one feelsbad for citizens lucky enough to live in the lush apartments and condosalong the High Line (those residents make up Serge Strosberg’s “Tales ofthe High Line”). Nevertheless, both shows offer windows into human (andanimal) lives.
Indeed, many of Strosberg’s paintings are almost disturbingly intimate. Inpieces like Lust or Julia Under the Red Spotlight, subjects are vulnerable andpartly disrobed; viewers might feel like they’re trespassing. Not to worry:Though the paintings are based on Strosberg’s real-life photographs, theartist used his own models on location. “I took many pictures in locationsthat were sometimes adventurous,” he has said.
The Afterparty pictures a young woman relaxing on a balcony—a sceneyou’ll likely glimpse on a cool summer night in New York or any othercity. Some of Strosberg’s paintings, like Hopper Highline or The IACBuilding, are less personal and more architectural. Viewed together, thepaintings capture the grit and glamour of the High Line, “a surrealistplace,” Strosberg has said, “where you have plants, glass, reflections, andsilence from traffic in a city where it is hard to find oxygen. To me, theHigh Line is a breath of oxygen and almost a fantasy area.”
Hay, meanwhile, has traditionally focused on human subjects as well, so“Rabbitude” signifies something of a departure for the British figurativepainter. Still, her lush, large-scale rabbit portraits could be seen as anextension of her ongoing exploration of sexuality, gender, and identity.After all, each subject seems to have its own personality: Blue Jean andBlackstar are distinct from, say, The Thin White Duke (all 2016; and yes,each rabbit seems to have a David Bowie–inspired name).
Hay’s recent paintings draw a parallel between human and animalconsciousness. “I relate to their alert, edgy energy,” she has said, “and theconstant vigilance required to always remain nimble enough to get in andout of fluctuating situations.” Atop the High Line, those same edgyenergies and fluctuating situations are available in ample supply.
—Bridget Gleeson
“Tales of the High Line” and “Rabbitude” are on view at the LionheartGallery, Pound Ridge, New York, Mar 20–May 1, 2016.
Follow the Lionheart Gallery on Artsy.
� � �
Olga's World, 2016Serge Strosberg
The Lionheart Gallery
The Standard HotelSerge Strosberg
The Lionheart Gallery
How Kerry James MarshallBecame a Superhero forChicago’s Housing ProjectsARTSY EDITORIAL
BY ELLEN TANI
Independent Brussels’sDebut Edition Brings theDealer-First Fair Back toIts RootsARTSY EDITORIAL
BY MOLLY GOTTSCHALK
World-Renowned DanceCompanies Flock Togetherfor Photographer Nir ArieliARTSY EDITORIAL
BY CASEY LESSER
Legendary Architect FrankGehry Honored forDiplomacy through theArtsARTSY EDITORIAL
BY ISAAC KAPLAN
Major Warhol WorksHead to BeijingARTSY EDITORIAL
BY ISAAC KAPLAN
Can an Irish BiennialReimagine ColonialHistory?ARTSY EDITORIAL
BY BEN EASTHAM
What Sold at Art CologneARTSY EDITORIAL
BY ALEXANDER FORBES
R. Crumb Delivers ComicRelief to a Beauty-ObsessedSocietyARTSY EDITORIAL
BY CHARLOTTE JANSEN
Legendary MalianPhotographer MalickSidibé Dies at 80ARTSY EDITORIAL
BY ALEXXA GOTTHARDT
Warhol Soup Can PrintsStolen—and the 9 OtherBiggest News Stories ThisWeekARTSY EDITORIAL
Lust Julia Under the Red SpotlightSerge Strosberg
The Lionheart Gallery
Serge Strosberg
The Lionheart Gallery
The Afterparty The IAC Building, 2016Serge Strosberg
The Lionheart Gallery
Serge Strosberg
The Lionheart Gallery
Blackstar, 2016 The Thin White Duke, 2016Jo Hay
The Lionheart Gallery
Jo Hay
The Lionheart Gallery
���
� Search…� ARTISTS ARTWORKS FAIRS AUCTIONS MAGAZINE MORE LOG IN SIGN UP
41
This catalogue was published to accompany the Jo Hay Spring Exhibition at The Lionheart Gallery.
Jo Hay March 2014 – May 1, 2016
Curated by Susan GrissomDesigned by Chelsea Walsh
All images copyright of the artist. Images of the works are reproduced courtesy of the artist and The Lionheart Gallery.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be produced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior permission in writing of the copyright holder and The Lionheart Gallery.
27 Westchester Avenue, Pound Ridge, NY 10576www.thelionheartgallery.com 914 764 8689
Essay by Tori Rysz
43
