Active Shooter at Our Baptism

Hair + Nails is thrilled to present Active Shooter at Our Baptism, a solo show of paintings on paper and canvas by Fresno, California based artist Gregory Rick. This survey of recent work is a mashup of violence (both feared and experienced) with myth, religion, foreign policy and personal history, an exploration of power dynamics and the spiritual all under the umbrella of love and hope. Some direct inspirations are: illuminated manuscripts, including Ethiopan Coptic books and the spiritual/cultural art of the African diaspora, WW1 propaganda posters, modern history painting (Jacob Lawrence’s Migration series) the Black Panther newspaper and many other reflections on social justice and religious/spiritual art. I am particularly interested in how the monks, aesthetics and spiritual artists move past mere observation to illustrate the internal and unseen world, an invisible land of archetypes and symbols summoned to warn against the penalties of sin or to capture historical moments of importance. The fusing of the internal and the historical captivates me. An example that I think about a lot is the book of Revelations and illustrations of that story. Although likely referring to the coming judgment and fall of the Roman Empire, it can also be interpreted in many other ways. Revelations has been resonant in many tumultuous times, including our present moment, when the world seems ablaze, with people at each other's throats and common ground seemingly evaporating everywhere. In a world where everyone “Knows” they are right, and their side is just, my revelations counters this rigidity and entrenched thinking with nuanced images and ideas. I am among the judged, presenting both ominous and hopeful predictions and “redictions” while in conversation with the unseen. Some of the important themes in the work include separation vs. unity, majority vs. minority, and the haves vs the have nots. In this ceremonial reinvestigation of power and transcendence, the personal and political unite, poking and prodding the Myth that is our history, while acknowledging the active shooter who is always near, even at our baptism. Sincerely, Greg Rick Gregory Rick (b. 1981, St. Cloud, MN; based in Fresno, CA) received his BFA from CCA and his MFA in art practice at Stanford University. Developing a historical imagination and a fondness for drawing stories, Rick collapses history while confronting personal trauma. Rick's works exist as reflections of his personal experience while being in dialogue with the wider world. Rick has received the Yamaguchi print making award, the Nathan Oliviera fellowship, and the Jack K. and Gertrude Murphy Award, the Artadia Award, the Daedalus Award, the SFMOMA SECA award and has shown in museums and galleries in both Minneapolis and California. Rick has lived in the Bay Area since 2012. Gregory Rick has previously exhibited with Hair+Nails in solo shows Coming Home (2023) and The Dancing Plague (2021) and in group shows Right Now (2020-1), The Human Scale (2021, at Rochester Art Center), Painting Show (2022), Felix Art Fair (2024, Los Angeles), and Freshly For You (2024, H+N NYC).

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