Tom Hill, Rugged Code, 2022, 14 x10 x 4 inches, mixed media constructionArtist Reception: Saturday, September 10 from 6pm to 8pm
Tom Hill’s current work incorporates decades of experience in art and design. Throughout his career, his studio practice has been augmented with an array of applied arts that include window display, theatrical set- and prop-making, mural and decorative painting, nightclub decor, and graphic design.
Hill’s current process involves elements that include natural and found objects, fabric and craft supplies, display letters, scraps of wood and construction debris, dime store frames, souvenirs and keepsakes, images lifted from smut and advertising, and painted surfaces.
The work in this exhibition was inspired by a book Hill read about loggers in the early 20th century Pacific Northwest. The book – which led to reading several others about the lumber industry – included a focus on sexual relationships between timbermen in remote work camps and urban rooming houses.
“Within the cliched but potent theme of gay lumberjacks, I have explored aspects of my sexuality that have taken a lifetime to fully understand and articulate. The work in this series offers a shameless and unapologetic boldness that counterweights my own internalized homophobia and tendency to hold back. I am hopeful that by expressing difficult-to-share private thoughts and desires, I can spark a dialogue about queer sexuality that will move beyond taboo to a place of acceptance. It is in this spirit that I stand beside my work, confront my own awkward hesitation, and anticipate the things we might allow ourselves to talk about.” Tom Hill
Gallery Hours
- Saturday 12-3pm
- and by Appointment 202-487-8458
Portico Gallery is located at 3807 Rhode Island Ave, Brentwood MD.
