Kitty Is Here, 2012
Author Portrait Series, Tom Robbins
Powdered pigment, oil, wax, lithographic ink on panel
48 x 48
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The spirit and intention behind my paintings is beautifully alluded to in the words of author Tom Robbins:
"Poetry is nothing more than the intensification or illumination of common objects and everyday events until they shine with their singular nature, until we can experience their power, until we can follow their steps in the dance, until we can discern what parts they play in the Great Order of Love. How is this done? By fucking around with syntax."
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Artist Statement: 2 Degrees of Separation
I am a visual artist who lives and works in Portland, Oregon. and I have been painting full time since 1998. My work is a contemplative practice with a strong focus on relationships and the belief that everything and everyone is connected.
My early still-life imagery evolved into landscapes, and in the past few years has expanded to include portraiture. I am currently immersed in project, which I call “2 Degrees of Separation,” of life-size portraits of authors who are friends, and authors who are friends of friends. The intention with these portraits of writers, who express their experience through their words, is to visually communicate a simple truth that I observe in each of them.
To date, the portrait collection includes “The Caretaker,” of memoirist and artist Wendy Burden embracing a stone lion, the last vestige of life as a descendent of Cornelius Vanderbilt. “Kitty is Here” is is of author Tom Robbins and his little dog, Blini, immersed in one of his prized 1950s-era circus sideshow tent paintings; the painting “Here” is of musician and author Kristin Hersh, founder and front-woman of the seminal indie-rock band, Throwing Muses and whose lyrics I find compelling and often haunting. She is submerged in water and open, as are her eyes. “Hideaway,” the prototype painting in this collection is of two dear friends (an artist and writer) against a mid-century poolside setting in Palm Springs. This is an interpretation of their imaginary alter-ego life contrasted to their real lives in busy Manhattan.
There is a personal story behind each portrait, with threads of connections and organic collaborations that continue to grow. For example, Wendy Burden is now painting my portrait. Kristin Hersh has fused her life story with my paintings, projected as the visual basis for her performance “Paradoxical Undressing”, which debuted at Queen Elizabeth Hall in 2008 and performed at The Getty Center and the Boston Museum 2011.
Once a solid body of work is assembled, my hope is to gather these portraits and host a literary art salon. This practice of hosting salons, gathering artists from different disciplines, has been part of my family history for over 100 years. I am fascinated by the idea of how these portraits will interact once assembled in a large space, and I’m looking forward to a diverse group of subjects--some iconic, some unsung, all powerful - gathered together via their portraits for a salon.
- Molly Cliff Hilts, July 2012
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