On September 24th I attended an opening at the Los Angeles Art Association’s Gallery 825 for our friend Richard Hutman’s work.
Hutman has degrees in Architecture and Urban Design from Cornell and Washington University, St. Louis and moved to California to pursue that career. He has collaborated on such iconic Los Angeles landmarks as The Getty Center, The Hollywood Bowl, Farmers Market, and the Disney Hall.
Hutman has always drawn, sketched, and painted for himself. These works have been his diary for all his travels around the world. In retirement Hutman began to revisit these works and came up with a concept to incorporate them into new unique artworks based on his architecture skills. Hutman scans his watercolor paintings and drawings then prints them on heavy weight paper. He then cuts and folds the paper in to forms to create three dimensional structures. The paper is cut with an attention to detail, the image fragments on the structures are carefully chosen and there is meaning with the juxtaposition. Shape, color, form is carefully chosen. With his new larger pieces, the reverse panel sides are specific to give deeper meaning. Hutman sees his works as “A means to discovering a new reality from archaeological remnants from an ancient civilization that never was via a mythical archaeological dig (the dig part is the act of collecting segments of his paintings to create the paper structure panels - Statement Link).” I also think Hutman’s process and art product is a means for him to reflect on his life and document his passion and experiences. In thinking about his work more, I also see an element of self-portraiture with his work, not with actual drawing of him but through the selection of materials and the design.
This is the second opening I have been to for Hutman’s work, every time I see his work, I like it more. I love the scale of his new larger works. Personally, and we have talked about this, I could definitely see his designs being turned in to large scale public art where viewers could walk in amongst the panels, maybe even incorporating some reflective elements into the experience.
I always enjoy “talking art” with Dick Hutman, it gives my artistic mind a chance to venture out an explore beyond the world of photography.
This was my first visit to Gallery 825 which is a nice intimate space formatted for four separate exhibition spaces. I was impressed with what the Los Angeles Art Association is doing there.