For more than 40 years, Hunt Slonem has built one of the most recognizable visual languages in contemporary American art. His brightly colored rabbits, exotic birds and fluttering butterflies have become instantly identifiable to collectors around the world. This fall, however, the celebrated artist is shifting the focus to another lifelong source of inspiration: flowers.
Opening Sept. 10 at Bonner David Galleries in Scottsdale, Flourish offers a rare look at the floral works that have quietly existed alongside Slonem’s ICONIC animal portraits throughout his career. The exhibition, on view through Oct. 31, showcases radiant blossoms layered with the artist’s signature texture, vibrant palette and inherent understanding of color.
For Slonem, flowers have never been decorative subjects. They are an extension of a lifelong relationship with nature that began in childhood. Growing up in Hawaii, Slonem developed an early fascination with orchids, cultivating them in his own greenhouse before surrounding himself with expansive gardens at the historic homes he now restores across the country.
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Rather than painting botanically precise studies, Slonem captures the energy and emotion of flowers through bold color, expressive brushwork and richly layered surfaces. His distinctive crosshatching technique, created by dragging the back of his paintbrush through wet paint, adds movement and texture.
“I say a mantra with every stroke I make,” Slonem explains. “Repetition is very divine. It’s like praying the rosary. It becomes a way of reaching a higher state.”
Whether painting rabbits, tropical birds, butterflies or flowers, his work is rooted less in realism than in reverence. Familiar subjects become vehicles for exploring beauty, memory and spirituality.
Like the gardens that continue to inspire him, Flourish is ultimately a celebration of the abundance of color, creativity and the enduring beauty found in the natural world.
Bonner David Galleries Scottsdale
7040 E, Main Street, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
480-941-8500
bonnerdavid.com
art@bonnerdavid.com
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