Bio

Jason Hackenwerth is a multidisciplinary artist working in the fields of painting, sculpture, and installation. His work has been exhibited in galleries, and museums around the world including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, the National Museums Scotland. Jason received his MFA in painting from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2010 and Bachelor of Fine Art in printmaking from Webster University, 1997. Press includes, The New York Times, Art In America, Surface Magazine, American Craft, Design Journal, Sculpture Magazine, Metal Magazine, Art Desk, Creative Review UK, Creative Review. Jason is a 2011 Pollock-Krasner Foundation Inc. grant recipient, and a 2018 and 2022 recipient of the Creative Pinellas Professional Artist Grant, currently artist in residence at The Factory St. Petersburg FL. He currently lives and works in St Petersburg, FL.

 

Artist Statement

I see my function as similar to a hiker on a remote trail who piles stones along the way to help others remain on the path. As such, when I encounter dazzling works by other artists I feel a connectedness to the experience. A feeling of affirmation that others have taken this path and that it is a worth-while endeavor. When the rocks are piled so carefully and so skillfully that they seem to defy gravity, it is a reminder to let go of the need to reach the destination and recognize that what is most sacred are the examples we leave for others along the journey. 

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My work is a continual practice of arranging the stones so surprisingly that they become arresting beacons of assurance that we are not lost, we are not alone. We are.

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The Act of Painting

The act of painting is more than a desire to make an interesting picture. In fact, that barely scratches the surface. Firstly, it is a way of exploring the notion of creation, a way of knowing God and thus oneself. Secondly, it is a dialogue with the human instinct to communicate. It is a continuation of the first marks made by primates and early humans who scraped lines in dirt, sand and on cave walls. And perhaps, most importantly, it is a way of allowing the unconscious impulse to manifest poetic expressions of the human experience to be recognized by others who are on this journey. In this process I am healed.