Luis De Jesus Los Angeles is very pleased to announce CARLSON HATTON: Take a moment to think of a relaxing location or situation, this could be a memory or something made up, the artist’s first solo exhibition with the gallery. The exhibition will be on view from June 26 through August 14, 2021 with an opening reception to be held on Saturday, June 26th from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Appointments are optional and may be made at luisdejesus.com/contact. 

Carlson Hatton’s latest body of work explores the psychological and physical terrain of the post-pandemic world. After spending much of last year in isolation, we have emerged cautious and anxious, faced with the challenge of navigating our upended world. The seven paintings that comprise this solo exhibition explore a disconnect between the artist's quiet, reflective practice and a surrounding reality that runs a wilder, and at times, darker course that exceeds control. Cobbled together figures celebrate paint, color, mark making and gesture while also evoking strong psychological undercurrents of individuals at odds with themselves and their environments. 

For this body of work, Hatton drew inspiration from Edouard Vuillard, Pierre Bonnard, and the Nabis who sought to liberate color and form from naturalistic description by rending paintings of lush environments in vibrant, harmonious colors. Their depictions of a quieter, slower world served as a form of visual escapism for the artist during the pandemic. These dreamy environments are quoted within Hatton’s own paintings, addressing the senses through sprawling patterns and rich colors.

Densely layered compositions filled with cartoonish figures in procession recall large gatherings and social unrest, such as migrations and protests. The entangled crowds swell with anticipatory energy and are juxtaposed by solitary figures lost in thought and disassociated from the masses. Carlson Hatton’s paintings of this imaginary world resemble our own altered reality. They grapple with memory, real and imagined, and invite us to dive into an interior realm beyond the psychedelic world outside of one’s skin. 

Carlson Hatton received his BFA from The Cooper Union, New York and an MFA from De Ateliers, Amsterdam. He is a Laureate of Jan van Eyck Academie, Maastricht. His work has been exhibited at the Torrance Art Museum, Torrance, CA; Carnegie Art Museum, Oxnard, CA; Redlands University, Redlands, CA; Da Weng Residency, Shenzhen, China; Irvine Fine Art Center, Irvine, CA, among others. His work is included in the collections of the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation, Los Angeles, CA; the Polsinelli Art Collection, Los Angeles, CA; the Da Wang Culture Highlands Arts Residency, Shenzhen, China; Metro Art, Los Angeles, CA. His work has been featured in publications including the Los Angeles Times, New American Paintings, and art ltd. In 2017, he was awarded an LA Metro Art commission. Hatton lives and works in Los Angeles and is a Professor of Fine Art and Division Head of Drawing at Santa Monica College. 

For further information, including images and previews, please call 213-395-0762, or email: gallery@luisdejesus.com.