The Southern Utah Museum of Art is featuring work by Navajo artist Patrick Dean Hubbell who hopes to reflect a broader representation of the American southwest in conjunction with the Western Pop exhibits. The exhibition is open until Feb. 12.
Hubbell was born and raised in the Navajo Nation on the border of Arizona and New Mexico and his pieces reflect cultural traditions he practiced growing up. He wants to spread awareness about the underrepresentation of indigenous peoples in the art industry and academia.
His work has appeared in museums and art galleries all over the United States including Gerald Peters in New York, Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles and Heard Museum in Phoenix. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Arizona State University in 2010 and a Master of Fine Arts at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2021.
“The foundation of my practice is inspired by cultural methodologies, references to traditional indigenous art and philosophy and the abstractness of language, nature, time and place,” said Hubbell. “The physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of my life are translated through a combination of gestural mark-making, automatic drawing and design.”
Hubbell uses natural earth materials in his art, grinding them into a powder and mixing them with binders to make paint. His pieces constantly incorporate patterns and symbology repetition, design elements used in indigenous art to resemble elements of nature.
“I find inspiration in everything and I use various themes rooted in the correlation and the conflict of both my Native American and contemporary mindset,” said Hubbell in an interview with Modern West Fine Art. “I’m interested in the abstract qualities of expression as well as representational imagery. The expressive personality of my work allows the viewer a momentary visual experience.”
Students can see both Hubbell’s and the Western Pop exhibitions featuring Andy Warhol and Billy Schenck at SUMA which is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
More information about SUMA’s current exhibitions can be found on their website.
Story By: Addie Horsley
Photo Courtesy of SUMA
accent@suunews.net
