Western Art Collector Magazine Features Erin Hanson's Red Rock Show
Interview with Erin Hanson
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Western Art Collector interviewed Erin Hanson about her Red Rock collection for the June issue of its publication. If you’d like to own a copy of this magazine issue, you can order a print copy of Western Art Collector Issue #130 directly from the publisher.
Here is the interview:
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In recent years, Erin Hanson has focused her paintings on the California landscape, but for her newest exhibition of 15 paintings, she’s returning to a favorite subject - the Colorado Plateau.
“I’m excited to get back to my red rock roots and dig out all my cadmium colors,” Hanson says, “I expect to see these landscapes in a whole new light and create them from a new point of view, as it has been a few years since immersing myself in the West.”
Twelve years ago, the red landscapes inspired Hanson to create one painting a week. “The stark outlines, flat planes of color, and striking color contrasts I discovered in Nevada and southern Utah were the basis for my chunky, semi-abstract style of painting, which has now become known as ‘Open Impressionism,” she explains.
Hanson finds the most inspiring time to observe the landscape is in the quiet before dawn. She has spent the past decade rock climbing and backpacking all across the plateau, and each of her experiences with the landscape speaks to her in a new way. She says, “I try to capture the underlying emotion one feels by standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon or exploring the impressive and otherworldly buttes of Arches National Park. I want to capture the grandeur and stark beauty of the southwest so that other people can experience its majesty.”
Her show at the at The Erin Hanson Gallery opens with a reception from 5 to 9 pm on June 16, and features paintings ranging from under 20 inches in size to over 6 feet. Gallery manager Amy Jensen says about the collection of works, “This is quite exciting since it is effectively taking her back to the birth of Open Impressionism…. This is where she first settled on her focus which has now taken her through over a decade of painting and a pretty phenomenal level of success within the industry.”
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Although the Red Rock Show is now over, some of the paintings are still on display at The Erin Hanson Gallery at 9705 Carroll Centre Road, San Diego, CA 92126. If you would like to see these incredible pieces in person, we are open from Wednesday through Sunday, 10am - 6pm or by appointment. Come revel in the beauty of red rock vistas from Utah and Arizona.
ERIN HANSON has been painting in oils since she was 8 years old. As a young artist, she worked at a mural studio creating 40-foot-tall paintings on canvas, while selling art commissions on the side. After getting a degree in Bioengineering from UC Berkeley, Erin became a rock climber at Red Rock Canyon, Nevada. Inspired by the colorful scenery she was climbing, she decided to paint one painting every week for the rest of her life. She has stuck to that decision ever since, becoming one of the most prolific artists in history. Erin Hanson's style is known as "Open Impressionism" and is now taught in art schools worldwide. With thousands of collectors eagerly anticipating her work and millions of followers online, Hanson has become an iconic, driving force in the rebirth of contemporary impressionism.