Tim Hawkinson

Tim Hawkinson is a local LA artist. Last year, he had a retrospective at LACMA, which is where I discovered this amazing, crazy, wonderful artist. The pieces on display at LACMA included works in almost every possible medium (and some you didn't think possible). Currently he has an exhibit of new works at the Getty Center. This show is much, much smaller than the LACMA show, but includes some great pieces. Hawkinson's work is hard to categorize, but you could say it tends to be of two types. The first type is where he uses photos of his own body to create a piece. In the Getty show, the octopus is an example of this. I love the fact that the 'suckers' on the tentacle are actually his mouth. The second type is where he uses everyday objects to make a piece of art. Here, the bat is an example, using Radio Shack plastic bags and twist ties. The things that he will use to create art are really rather amazing. There is a level at which you can appreciate the art just for the technical details. Then, if you choose, you can go deeper to find meaning in that process. And above all, I feel a sense of joy in the works, even if they are not all 'happy' works.