John “Jack” Hammack (1925-1990)
In the basement of a 1940s Portland, Oregon bungalow, an archive of John “Jack” Hammack’s relentless creativity lay dormant, patiently awaiting discovery for over 30 years after his passing. His life’s work tucked between floor joists, in dresser drawers, and stacked on makeshift shelving. Paintings, works on paper, and mixed media creations spanning over four decades.
Jack was a prolific, if not compulsive painter, as evidenced by the sheer volume of work that has survived him. Although he rubbed shoulders with some of the biggest names to come out of the mid-20th century Pacific Northwest art scene, Jack Hammack comparatively recieved very little attention for his creative endeavors. We can only surmise that painting was a deeply personal practice for him, as the many intimate small scale works he created seem to serve as a visual journal of personal mythology, concepts, and experiences.
Even within the wildest abstractions, the emotion and intention of the artwork is unmistakably vivid. When one views the artist’s body of work, we are privileged to follow his journey through early abstract expressionism culminating into a neo-expressionist frenzy of large scale paintings in his later years.
The entire collection has been procured as a whole and is being curated for sale. Even as the artwork is being released we are learning more about the artist. One thing is clear, Jack Hammack was on the cusp of modern art in America, producing artwork that rivals celebrated masters of the era. It is an honor to bring this long forgotten body of work to the market.