Known for his collaged and multi-media works on paper based purely on imagination, this is Tim Hussey’s first exhibition devoted exclusively to charcoal drawings. Various sized works on paper articulate the female form and explore the precarious and current states of the human body. Working from live models, Hussey layers mediums to abstract anatomical details and convey expressive movements. Depicting twisting females bodies through frenetic line quality, the drawings convey immediacy rather than static compositions or iconic references. Rendered in his typical style of gestural lines and unexpected drips and smudges, selected drawings leave the viewer fixated on the subject matter and absorbed in the process.
Tim Hussey explores various media through interrelated realms of illustration, figure painting and pure abstraction. His paintings are infused with intense color and texture, allowing the chaotic nature of the media to work to his advantage. For Hussey, the act of painting is as important as the finished product, applying mediums like house paint, oil sticks, pen and colored pencil to collaged vintage papers with as much chance as deliberation. His untidy formats and size variations express strong emotions, psychological battles and at times the desire for spiritual comfort.
Hussey’s laboriously precious line quality and tight compositions integrate technical skills from his long career in editorial illustration. After graduating from Rhode Island School of Design (1992) with a focus on photography and illustration, Hussey settled in New York City where his first job at MTV involved painting images on set during live broadcasts. His mature, illustrative career evolved through designer roles at Rolling Stone, New York Times, Esquire, GQ and Outside Magazine, to name a few. In 2000, Hussey was awarded “Top 20 Images of the Year,” by American Illustration and is featured annually in Print Magazine and Communication Arts.
Hussey’s photographs and paintings have been exhibited nationally in key group and solo exhibitions such as his recent show at Shepard Fairey’s Subliminal Projects Gallery in Los Angeles, and Art Basel Miami. His art has appeared in publications like Architectural Digest and NYARTS Magazine, among others. Hussey currently resides in downtown Charleston, SC, where he continues to push his personal limits through various mediums.
