Hills artworks impart a quality of permanence; quickly revealing a sense of genealogy, flatness, and inscribed time, all which are anchored by the basic ideas of mark making, symbology and written language. Simply stated – “Signs”.
Cultures through the centuries have used signs to indicate places, give directions and convey stories; we see Hill using his artwork to do the same. Some artworks are inspired by specific moments at specific places. For example, “Elsinore Super Bloom” is inspired by the annual super bloom of poppies on lake Elsinore in California.
Other artworks recall stories of people or events, such as “Minty on the Bowery”, named after the late great controversial performance artist Leigh Bowery and his short-lived band, Minty.
Finally, some artworks are created with the physical marks of a specific place and time. The Bluestem series is created with a process that allows the blades of the Bluestem grasses and the weather of North Texas to literally make their marks on the canvas before Hill even begins his manipulations.
Much as a writer scribbles down thoughts and events of the day in their journal, Lee Albert Hill uses his consistent formal visual language to create his own journal of signposts to his memories.
Signs is Lee Albert Hill’s first solo exhibition with CAMIBAart Gallery.