AVM Hawkins at Enter Opening Reception at Mid Main Gallery, Houston, TX.
Enter
Enter marks AVM’s debut of new work following the birth of her son. AVM invites the viewer to step directly into her world—the elusive, indescribable realm of abstraction. Designed as an immersive experience, Enter surrounds and envelops, drawing the viewer deeper into the art until they are fully submerged in its layers depths. Lose yourself in the work—and perhaps find your Self.
Camille Scott, AVM Hawkins, Stacy Compass and Mark Hawkins at ENTER Opening Reception at Mid Main Gallery.
This exhibition unfolds through a dynamic interplay of movement, texture, contrast, and color—balancing surrender and control, risk and faith, beauty and complexity. Enter involves several studio sessions building layers upon layers of mark-making, movement, contrast, color and confidence. These works are designed to lure the viewer in—to become completely submerged—expanding consciousness to the point where reality is questioned. Not because one is lost in another dimension, but because clarity has been found within.
“Enter is the first series I’ve painted after becoming a mother. As a new mom, my world, perspective and priorities shifted beyond what I could have ever imagined. Who I was before, no longer exists. My ego dissolved. My sense of identity has been forgotten as I become totally immersed as a witness and participant in the growth of a brand new life. The adoration and love I have for my son and husband is overwhelming. A love I did not realize I was capable of, but now know, is all I have ever been made of. ”
Enter Opening Reception
Mid main gallery, Houston, TX
“With ENTER, it was my first time painting again post motherhood. My art practice was completely different, all revolving around my young baby’s feeding and sleep schedule. Instead of working on several, multiple projects at the same time, I shifted to work on a few, to ensure timely completion of work.
There were many ‘starts and stops,’ and ‘pick ups’ from where I left off. I took more time to be with each work, applying several layers of marks, paint, and texture, studying each piece and allowing it to show me what it’s meant to become.
Each piece developed its own personality, revealing itself to me over time, taking several weeks to complete.”
Ambition, AVM Hawkins, 60 (H) x 24 (W) x 1.75 (L) inches (each) x 2 panels; Acrylic, Spray Paint, Oil Pastels and Mixed Media on Canvas.
Ambition #1 & #2 are each 60(H) x 24 (W) inches. They can be acquired and installed individually or as a diptych. Ambition contain several layers of mixed media to create depth and texture. Their predominant colors are red, with hints of orange ruminating throughout the work, balanced with white and light grey.
Ambition #1, AVM Hawkins, Original, 60 (H) x 24 (W) x 1.75 (L) inches; Acrylic, Spray Paint, Oil Pastels & Mixed Media on Canvas.
AVM rarely paints with the color red. While typically gravitating towards cooler hues opposed to warm colors, Ambition signifies a bold shift in AVM’s work, choosing colors that stand out, strong and unapologetically. With six, red dominant paintings under her belt, there’s no doubt, this shift signals a personal and professional transformation.
Ambition #2, AVM Hawkins, Original, 60 (H) x 24 (W) x 1.75 (L) inches; Acrylic, Spray Paint, Oil Pastels & Mixed Media on Canvas.
“I don’t think it’s coincidental that my work is containing more bold colors—colors that send a message: ‘this is me, and I am here.’ For the first time, I feel more confident, not because my ego has grown, but because becoming a parent makes you more courageous. The time is always now, to move forward. Growth is mandatory. I must face the things that scare me, so I can teach my son how to do so as well. I think this energy, of moving forward, into the unknown, even while afraid, naturally translates in creating art. ”
The color red is an intense color, signifying passion, love, obsession, anger, power energy and effort (blood, sweat and tears). In many cultures, red represents good luck and protection. There is no hiding with the color red. There is an “owning” with the color red—owning one’s dreams, desires, and purpose.
The choice of red, symbolizes ambition—a courage to pursue a goal boldly, openly proclaiming the desire and pursuing it with relentless purpose.
Red must be balanced with neutrality and rest, rooted in an airy lightness. Ambition holds the power of red, yet also roots the work in white, light colors creating the necessary balance required for great ambition and the work that comes with it.
VIP reception of ENTER at Mid Main Gallery; Houston, Texas.
“It is my hope that Ambition instills a sense of peace as well as inspire action that will produce success. Ambition is required to achieve one’s dreams and goals, as well as maintaining a reserve of grit and tenacity necessary to overcome the challenges that will inevitably emerge ahead.
Achievement is not the only goal; creating and maintaining joy and enjoyment of the process is the secret to success. The goal is just the guidepost to induce movement and growth. Living fully in the moment is the gift. ”
Ambition
Ambition #1 (Right)
Ambition #2 (Left)
Original
AVM Hawkins
60 (H) x 24 (W) inches (Each)
Acrylic, Spray Paint, Oil Pastels & Mixed Media on Canvas.
AVM Hawkins (b. 1985, New Orleans) is an American contemporary fine artist of Creole descent, based in Houston, Texas. An abstract expressionist, she intuitively uses color, contrast, and movement to evoke emotion while incorporating mixed materials, layered paint, and spontaneous verbiage to draw the viewer deeper into her work. AVM seamlessly blends freehand patterns with fluid, gestural improvisations, bridging the worlds of form and abstraction to create space for exploration and fortuity.