Magic Man 1993

Richard Hambleton created this painting, called ‘Magic Man’, using paint on canvas. There’s a real urgency in the making of this piece, as you can see from the expressive brushwork. Hambleton has applied thin washes of paint, but also dry-brushed and scrubbed the surface to create texture and the sense of dynamism. The bright pink pigment, set against a dark ground, makes the figure seem to emerge from the shadows. It looks quickly done, almost like graffiti. Hambleton was part of a downtown New York art scene that challenged traditional ideas about what art should be, often using everyday materials and techniques, such as spray paint, to create work with social and political commentary. Thinking about materiality and making helps us see the full picture of this artist’s work, questioning the conventional distinctions between fine art and craft.