Myth in Metaphor: The Etchings of Steven Hazard at Clement Art Gallery [Get Visual]
By David Brickman
I don’t know Steven Hazard personally, but his show at Clement Art Gallery in Troy says a lot about what sort of person he must be. Like many artists, he is obsessed – but unlike most people, artists included, he appears to be singularly devoted to his obsession, giving his entire existence over to creating a very particular world in carefully rendered and heavily layered imagery.
At his home studio in Albany, Hazard makes etchings, which he frames himself and takes on the road to sell at craft fairs and such; these travels have allowed Hazard to make a living, but have largely prevented him from pursuing traditional gallery shows. Myth in Metaphor is the first local show I can recall that features more than just a few of his works.
So this is a welcome opportunity to take in the scope of Hazard’s output – especially because, despite the small scale of the gallery, it’s a comprehensive collection that spans from the 1970s to the present. Then again, for me the show is perhaps too complete – Hazard’s images are so dense that it is a challenge to take in very many of them at once, and the result is that the experience is somewhat overwhelming.
Extremely interesting art – if i can’t make it by the time the exhibit closes on Wednesday, i think i’ll still purchase the catalog when it becomes available. Where is this artist based out of, anyone know?
Doh – just noticed, “at his home studio in Albany” – the art overpowered my reading abilities!