Portraits of artist Dawn Hunter attending a gallery exhibition opening, spring 2024.
This playful composite portrait of Dawn Hunter pays homage to Andy Warhol's silkscreen portraits of celebrities, which often used tabloid or event snapshots. Warhol frequently created these compositions in sets of four, varying the colors. This color variation influenced the form, content, and emotional tone of each piece. When displayed together, the different colors created additional meaning through their juxtaposition.
Vegas Garden, by artist Dawn Hunter, graphite, ink and acrylic on paper, 36" x 58."
This drawing embraces allegorical portrayals similar to Giovanni Mannozzi's representations of female doubles—complementary opposites—find a parallel in contemporary fashion editorials. Take, for instance, Mannozzi's personifications of Dusk and Dawn. By isolating these figures and placing them in a scenario depicting discord, their separation and juxtaposition can be interpreted as a metaphor for cosmic disharmony.
Riverwalk, by artist Dawn Hunter, acrylic on canvas, 24" x 36."
"My work is created through a perceptual process, whether I'm exploring popular culture or traditional landscapes. For example, my portfolios like 'Spectacle Spectacular' and 'Personified Doubles and Complementary Opposites' were developed by deconstructing and reconstructing photographic images from popular culture into unique 3-D maquettes, which served as still life subjects. This approach is similar to how I engage with the Congaree Riverwalk in my Plein Air paintings. The Congaree National Park, with its diverse wildlife and one of the largest preserved old-growth bottomland hardwood forests in the southeastern United States, enriches my perceptual ability, enabling me to translate cultural images and objects with spatial depth. The floodplain, nourished by the Congaree and Wateree Rivers, fosters a rich ecosystem and supports impressive champion trees, adding to the park's vibrant natural beauty." - Dawn Hunter
Dawn Hunter's Biography
Artist, USC Professor & Fulbright Scholar
Dawn's Story
Welcome to the world of Dawn Hunter, a visual artist, Fulbright Scholar, and USC professor, whose comprehensive selection of drawings and paintings captures the essence of popular culture. With a unique perspective on the world around us, Dawn's artwork is a reflection of her diverse skills and influences. Through her background in observational painting, art education, and video production, she creates diaristic pieces that resonate with everyday experiences. Additionally, she has created a comprehensive body of artwork about Santiago Ramón y Cajal. This series has been featured in The Scientist, NLM's Circulating Now, Scientific American and the Consilience Journal.
Dawn's artistic journey has taken her far and wide, exhibiting her work in prestigious venues such as the Instituto Cajal, the Royal Academy of Arts, the Berkeley Art Center, Brown University, Whittier College, the University of Wisconsin, Madison, University of Montana, and SCOPE New York. Her talent has earned her coveted residencies at the Vermont Studio Center, the Cooper Union in NYC, and the Royal Academy Schools in London, England. Notably, her captivating creations have found a place in the collections of the University of South Carolina and the LaGrange Art Museum.
Dawn pursued her education at some of the finest art schools in the United States. She obtained her BFA from the esteemed Kansas City Art Institute, followed by her MFA from the University of California, Davis. She has been honored with awards and grants, including a Starr Foundation Fellowship to the Royal Academy of Arts in London and a Fulbright Fellowship for research at the Instituto Cajal in Madrid, Spain. She serves as an Associate Professor at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC.
Step into Dawn Hunter's artistic universe, where her captivating interpretations of celebrities and everyday life await. Thank you for visiting!
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