Jill Hotchkiss
mtn space gallery is pleased to present Golden Hour, a solo exhibition of new mixed media work by South Florida-based artist Jill Hotchkiss.
On view will be a new ongoing series of large-scale paper scrolls focused on the categorization of plants, including:
Plants of the Gods: sacred, ceremonial, psychedelic
Plants that Kill: toxic, deadly
Plants that Heal: medicinal, restorative
Plants by the Moon: nyctinastic, night-blooming
This series also includes carved relief, gilded woodworks, some of which Hotchkiss created with the traditional Japanese burning technique yakisugi, a method of setting fire to wood to fortify and preserve it. The final result is charred, cracked, and ash-black, a direct comment on climate change.
The work features Hotchkiss’s signature dendritic forms, a recurring pattern that spans the natural world from vascular and neural systems, to plant roots, to geological patterns and river systems — this motif references the interdependence of earth’s “ecological connective tissue” (Entangled Life, Sheldrake 2020). She also directly explores the critical role fungi and fungal networks play in the environment, including absorbing carbon, decomposing and regenerating new life, and rebuilding soil. These interconnected and regenerative qualities offer up a hopeful view for a new feature.
In addition to these forms, Hotchkiss uses silver and gold leaf for its historical significance, reference to the ornamental, and prescribed societal value to touch upon conservation while posing the question: “must nature be gilded for its preservation?”
Golden Hour references the time of day in which objects are silhouetted in black by the sun, another motif that permeates Hotchkiss’s work — additionally, it is a medical term for the brief period of time after a traumatic injury when life can still be preserved. Themes from this transitional time also serve as inspiration for this body of work: the ephemeral, nostalgia, magic, and ethereality.
Jill Hotchkiss received a BFA from the University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, and an MFA from Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY. She has held residencies with the School of Visual Arts in New York and Oolite Arts in Miami. Her work is held in major private and public collections around the world, and her work has been featured in Architectural Digest, Forbes Magazine, and The Art Basel Magazine, among others. She was recently commissioned by the City of West Palm Beach for a large-scale public mural entitled Botanical Preserve in South Olive Park.
Jill Hotchkiss: Golden Hour will be on view through May 25, 2024.