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HOYES TO CREATE HIS FIRST MAJOR PUBLIC ART COMMISSION IN GRANITE
WITH MASTER CHINESE STONEMASONS
Bernard S. Hoyes
Los Angeles, CA – Jamaican born artist and master visionary, Bernard Stanley Hoyes www.BernardHoyes.com
is world renowned for his powerful imagery. His potent and color-filled canvases are internationally recognized for searing the spirit with overwhelm. A contemporary painter who works from an intuitive and spiritual space, Hoyes is readying to embark on a career defining journey to Fuzhou City in the Fujian Province of China in February. Once there, Hoyes will work to create his first granite rock sculpture. Not just any ordinary rock sculpture either, as he has been privately commissioned to design a 6 foot, 3 ton blue fin tuna!
The journey will be magical in more ways than one. The three-dimensional sculpting process is not new to this traditional painter. As a young artist, his first discipline was carving when he entered art school, but he changed his major to painting. After establishing a successful career as a painter for the past 30 years, his artistic growth has now bought him full circle. Recently retooling his studio to work with different sculptural mediums, his recent progress with stone has garnered him this new commission. In China, he will be working with and learning from time-honored Chinese stonemasons whose work habits date back centuries.
Tuna Sculpture
Fuzhou, an ancient city with a history of more than 2,100 years is the capital of the Fujian Province. After much research and contemplation, Hoyes decided that it was the best place on the planet to travel to most successfully accomplish his goal and render an exquisite masterpiece. In addition to their stonemasons being experts in the art of polishing stone, the Fujian Province is home to the most beautiful blue gray granite in the world, the perfect attribute to capture the essence and splendor of the blue fin tuna.
Originally studying under the tutelage of stonemason master Paul Hopkins in Palm Springs, CA, Hoyes has been initiated into the art and science of public sculpting. Upon his arrival in China, he will be under the direct guidance of one of the world’s head stonemasons, Gang Yang. A film crew will travel with Hoyes to further document the excursion.
The granite blue fin tuna will sit on its nose, hoisted on a 3 foot base by a 6′ x 1 ½ inch steel rod that bores through the fish into the foundation. Upon completion, it will travel by boat back to the United States to the private art collector.
“For any artist and lover of art, this is the opportunity of a lifetime on so many levels,” exudes Hoyes. “We are never too old to learn something new and I am simply ecstatic to have these ancient secrets revealed to me. As a Jamaican born artist and an American citizen, now traveling to China, I am happy to acknowledge that the language of art and creativity is a universal one. This is indeed a career highlight.”
Born into a family rooted in Jamaica’s revivalist church, Hoyes memories of religion and rituals have influenced his artistic productivity throughout his life. His celebration of traditional African religion and spirituality continues to find universal appeal, stunning audiences worldwide. Oprah Winfrey, Natalie Cole, Steve Harvey, Keenan Ivory Wayans and the National Urban League are among his collectors. Selections of Hoyes’ work have been featured in several television shows including a recent episode of the Showtime hit series, “Dexter.” President Barack Obama has even been photographed in front of his work.
Hoyes was recently selected as one of eleven local artists chosen to represent their various cities with artwork in support of the “How Sweet the Sound” national choir competition sponsored by Verizon Wireless. His exhibition highlights include the Art Museum of Americas, Washington,D.C.; Caprice Galerie, Berlin; Belair House,London; 626 Gallery, L.A. and Palm Springs Desert Museum. Collections hang at Capitol Records, Alcan Aluminum Corp., Montreal and Air Jamaica.
Press Release: Makeda Smith
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