SUMMER 2024
ARTISTS IN PRACTICE - OPEN HOUSE: COLE DOUGLAS
From July 11th - July 22th at the Hill Street Country Club will host multi-disciplinary artist Cole Douglas (he/him) as he expands on his existing series of abstract mixed-media works on canvas. These new pieces are of a previously unprecedented scale, taking full advantage of the gallery’s open space to develop new techniques and build a more robust mark-making language. Visitors are invited to visit and view works as Cole’s work progresses and attend a public open house with light refreshments to meet the artist.
Artist Statement
After an injury induced identity crisis, I found myself seeking a resolution to the pain I’d felt after carrying the burden of being a Black man in a white America. I soon found that painting and time in nature were a panacea to my ills. The nexus of my identity as a Black man in addition to these activities presented me with the foundation of my work: negroes nature nurture. That is, the juxtaposition between the Black American and natural experience. I present the Black experience in a meaningful way, seeking resolution to our issues and a future reimagined with healthy, thriving, and carefree Black people.
I blend gestural acrylic palette knife strokes with energetic oil stick lines to inspire reflection, growth, and the sowing of seeds. Leveraging these mediums, I am able to create an active painting that explores the possibilities of a fruitful Black future. Through these paintings, an intentional reconfiguration of Black values and actions is had – resulting in meaningful change for future generations. That is, the sowing of seeds in our garden.
The process used to create these radical abstractions lend towards continual discovery as opposed to a specific final destination. This process-based approach, inspired from my engineering background, creates boundless expression to encapsulate all feelings that exist within a given situation allowing the works to serve as both a medium of healing and a path forward to change for myself and others. Creating a community for other people like me searching for healing and love.
About Artists in Practice
Artists in Practice: Artists in Practice is a studio development and exhibition opportunity curated by the collective efforts of Hill Street Country Club. This innovative program is designed for artists who seek to explore ideas and create new works of art free from the constraints typically imposed by institutional deadlines and art world expectations. At Hill Street, we believe in fostering an environment where artists can use the gallery space as an experimental studio, thereby encouraging a sense of liberation in their artistic practice.
This program offers artists a unique opportunity to exhibit their in-progress and completed works as a ceremonial act of letting go, allowing them to transition into new phases of their creative journey. Our goal is to support artists in creating the pieces they are most passionate about and to explore those ideas that occupy their thoughts perpetually, without the paralyzing fear of failure. Through Artists in Practice, we aim to cultivate an atmosphere where artistic experimentation and freedom are paramount in the art-making process, thus enabling artists to push the boundaries of their practice and embrace the full potential of their creative visions.
