the july exhibitions are coming in hot for southern artists jacob cooley and kiki slaughter. one of our all time favorite places in the world is the marsh along the carolina coast. the stillness, light and every changing vistas have the power to restore and the surrounding beauty fills our hearts. north carolina artist jacob cooley so elegantly paints the essence of the marshlands in his oil on canvas paintings. his style is hyperrealist and he transforms the classic landscape into a more contemporary realm. jacob’s ability to capture both dawn and dusk frozen in time is beyond magical. virginia artist kiki slaughter has honed her skills as a painter and does not hold back in the studio. her paint strokes are strong, fluid and bold along with her palette. not one to shy away from the vastness of a large canvas only seeing it as an opportunity to push herself more. her colorfield paintings are a lesson in letting go and listening to your intuition.
jacob cooley was born in 1968. he received an mfa in painting from the university of north carolina at chapel hill in 1993 and graduated in 1990 with a bfa from the university of georgia, athens. he studied at antioch college in yellow springs, ohio from 1986 to 1988. his paintings are informed by harmonious and hallowed places, landscapes about contemplation and the spirit, but also about the transient, ephemeral characteristics of light and darkness and ultimately of life. jacob cooley's work attempts to capture and hold the instant when the orange of the sun is about to completely scatter into the diffused light of dusk or the thunderclouds move to entirely obscure the horizon. cooley has received numerous awards and reviews of his work are included in major publications. his paintings are collected nationally by museums, corporations and private collectors.
kiki slaughter grew up in charlottesville, va and studied painting at the university of virginia. kiki is an abstract painter known for expansive colorfield compositions that explore the fundamental process of painting. her work centers on intuitive mark-making, drawing on the visual history of color theory and action painting. she pours, scrapes, layers and otherwise manipulates paint on the canvas to create works that are rich in both color and texture. kiki is also very inspired by her visual surroundings. she strives to interpret and record her impressions of the world around her through her use of color and texture. although her works are entirely abstract, each piece maintains subtle characteristics from its source of inspiration. in 2012 she was named a southern tastemaker by garden & gun magazine.
a tribute to creative expression, my work tells the story of my artistic process; every stroke, splatter, and stain of paint adds character to the narrative. my technique is a delicate balance of spontaneity and precision, both intuitive and intentional. tapping into creative flow, i work in the moment, pouring, scraping, and layering paint to create dynamic compositions that explore the relationship between color and texture. my approach is experimental and playful, juxtaposing bold blocks of color and gestural brushwork through various paint applications to add dimension and bring the canvases to life.
painting is both my method and muse, and i find inspiration in every step of the process. fully immersing myself in my craft, each piece becomes a window into my imagination and the world around me. whether channeling my studio's creative energy or nature's tranquil beauty, i strive to capture the essence of place and convey its energy onto canvas. through this method, my work is meant to engage viewers and invite them into another world. the ultimate compliment i receive is when someone tells me my work has moved them somehow, as it is a testament to the power of creative expression.
-kiki slaughter
all available work by each artist can be viewed on our website under their individual tabs including sizing + pricing. hidell brooks gallery is by appointment. please call the gallery if you have any further questions.