On the Shelf

PATRICIA HYNES

Making art is one of the few areas in life where one can truly be free to express insights about the full range of human experiences.

The act of painting is one of the rare instances in life where one can unconditionally express one’s emotions and thoughts. It is a calling that is not to be taken lightly, or without responsibility. It is not something the artist chooses to do like a man stream career. It is something the artist is driven to produce -- the unattainable. In reality, this is work that will never be perfect, for the imperfections, mistakes and frustrations the artist experiences in one painting are the driving factors that lead to the next work. This starts with a concept in the artist’s mind that is challenged by a confrontation with the canvas to transform it into a statement about life. Life with all its twists and turns, good and bad, happy and sad, beautiful and repulsive. But life that is lived by all.

My work:

Advances historical visual art through stories about persons experiencing life situations within a cultural context. These situations present seemingly ordinary, yet significant moments in the fleeting instant that reveal individual personality traits prompting viewers to reflect on how of these paintings relate to their own lives.

Evokes references from the art historical to the contemporary culture through scenes much akin to theatrical settings. There is no “right” reaction, or interpretation, to questions raised through these scenes.

Fuses concept, imagery, and pigment to produce a visual story. It is expressive and about the process of painting with pigment being an indication of a passage’s significance through brushwork that sets a reading tempo. 

I received a MFA from Rutgers University, now the Mason Gross School of the Arts and a BA from Douglas College, now incorporated into Rutgers University. After a period of teaching Studio Art and Art History I pursued a career in non-profit institutions working in the areas of development becoming institutional advancement. Administrative positions held included Deputy Director for the Cincinnati Art Museum; Vice President for Pratt Institute; Vice President for the American Craft Museum, now the Museum of Arts and Design; Director of Alumni Relations; Associate Director of University Development, and Development Director, Tisch School of the Arts all for New York University. In addition, I held development posts at the Whitney Museum and the Brooklyn Museum.

 I am a member of the Salmagundi Art Club, New York.

patriciahynespainter.com 908 962 8035 [email protected]