Shawn Huckins

Shawn Huckins is recognized for both his humor and his technical skill as a painter. In his best-known series, “The American Revolution Revolution” and “The American ___tier,” Huckins satirizes social media, asking whether the devolution of language in the face of technological advancement weakens our ability to empathize and connect to one another in a meaningful way. By layering early American portraiture and landscape with text taken directly from the internet, Huckins confronts the priorities of our society in comparison to simpler times. What would George Washington post on Facebook? How would Lewis and Clark communicate their progress westward via Twitter? Huckins’s works are meticulously hand-painted, including the letters. The portraits, landscapes, and pastoral scenes are sourced from public domain records and museum collections of classic American paintings. Huckins studied at Keene State College in New Hampshire and the University of Wollongong in Australia. He received his BA in studio arts in 2006.

Submitted by Galerie Bessières