Hardy Hanson: Meditations
Reception for family, friends, alumni and students on February 5, 5–7pm, with refreshments and speakers. RSVP
Hardy Hanson began teaching painting, drawing, and visual fundamentals in 1969 at UC Santa Cruz.
As dedicated as Hardy was to teaching, he was just as dedicated to his art and made time every day to work in his studio. His art was meticulous, detailed, eccentric, and imaginative, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. His precise repetition of small, unusual elements created unnatural harmonies with a powerful collective impact. Clever titles, often with political allusions, provided sly intellectual nudges. His intention was to probe, provoke thought, and visually and intellectually engage the viewer.
Toward the end of his life, Hardy became fascinated by the mysterious visual depths created by dense concentrations of minute, colored dabs of paint. These meandering paths of color have an allure, evoking in the viewer a kind of visual and emotional vertigo.
This exhibition of Hardy’s work shown at the Smith Gallery during Fall 2019 and now at the Porter Faculty Gallery in 2020, is especially timely. He arrived fifty years ago this year to begin teaching painting, drawing, and visual fundamentals to UCSC’s first dedicated art students. Hardy encouraged many of them to pursue careers in art and teaching and remained supportive and interested in their work even after his retirement.
Gallery hours are Tuesday – Saturday noon to 5pm and Wednesdays until 8pm during the academic year or by appointment for special tours. We are closed for all University holidays and the summer months.