hillbilly modernism or: how i learned to swim
FORM Gallery is proud to present hillbilly modernism or: how i learned to swim, the gallery’s sixth solo exhibition by artist Hayley Blomquist.
Drawing inspiration from the domestic complexities of cliches and the simple and instant recognizability of sentimental platitudes, the artist compiles a lexicon of retired and hackneyed iconography to which she juxtaposes with the sprezzatura of abstract expressionistic gestural brushstrokes and enigmatic, yet ultimately incoherent symbology of unconscious, instinctual decisions. Blomquist exposes the dichotomy between art and craft and transposes the two creating a nexus comprised of five brightly colored banners, brought to movement by an oscillating fan. Blomquist’s oeuvre confronts the bombast of artistic justification and the subsequent ramifications through an exploration of kitsch and camp in the fine art sphere that is often disparaged for its accessibility and instant gratification.
Hayley Blomquist was born in 1995 and lives and works in New York. Her work is not collected by museums worldwide or nationwide, however her 2016 work JOY held a short stint in Calkins Hall, Hofstra University before it was forcibly removed due to the fire hazard it allegedly caused. Recent exhibitions include “Soft Divide” Bryant Library, Roslyn, New York (2017).