Glamour Girls, Unfinished: Erin Hammond at Artspace Warehouse
Though “affordable” might not be an adjective you’d associate with either Los Angeles or Zurich, that’s exactly what’s on offer at both locations of Artspace Warehouse—modern artworks by emerging artists at accessible price points. The American painter Erin Hammond is one of these up-and-coming artists; her work has already been widely exhibited and will soon be featured in the L.A. gallery at the upcoming exhibit “Urban Sensuality,” and included at special events like Artspace Warehouse's current booth at Red Dot Miami.
At Red Dot, held at the Wynwood Art District in concurrence with the winter edition of Art Basel Miami Beach, the gallery displays two of Hammond’s lushest and most feminine works: the abstract portraits Jenny and Gratitude, both acrylic and mixed media on wood. The Urban Sensuality exhibit features a pair of related pieces: Ava and Stella Rose (all works 2014). Though also portraits, the latter are acrylic on canvas. All four works feature pillowy-lipped glamour girls who stare off into the distance, the contours of their upper bodies dissolving into a vibrant, graffiti-like background and foreground. The choice of subject seems a natural one for Hammond, a recent transplant to Los Angeles who’s also pursuing acting and modeling. The blend-into-the-background technique is also a conscious artistic decision. Hammond says, “As we are unfinished beings, in the process of completion, my paintings reflect that concept as I overlap with paint and pencil lines, overworking some areas and leaving other areas unfinished. I would like the viewer’s imagination to bring the piece to its own completion.”
For an emerging artist, Hammond has already exhibited her works widely—most recently at the Houston Fine Art Fair, Kunstwarenhaus Zurich, and at the Affordable Art Fairs in Toronto, Seattle, New York, and Masstricht, Netherlands. She also earned top honors at RAWawards, the largest indie art competition in the U.S. Like several of her fellow artists exhibiting at Artspace Warehouse and associated events Hammond’s work is youthful, energetic, and creatively engages various genres.
—Bridget Gleeson
Erin Hammond’s works are on view at Red Dot Miami, Dec. 2–7, 2014, and at Artspace Warehouse in Los Angeles, Dec. 9, 2014–Jan. 22, 2015.
