Trenton Doyle Hancock
was born in 1974 in Oklahoma City, OK. Raised in Paris, Texas, Hancock
earned his BFA from Texas A&M University, Commerce and his MFA
from the Tyler School of Art at Temple University, Philadelphia.
Hancock’s prints, drawings, and
collaged
felt paintings work together to tell the story of the Mounds—a
group of
mythical
creatures that are the tragic
protagonists
of the artist’s unfolding
narrative.
Each new work by Hancock is a contribution to the saga of the Mounds,
portraying the birth, life, death, afterlife, and even dream states
of these half-animal, half-plant creatures. Influenced by the history
of painting, especially
Abstract Expressionism, Hancock transforms traditionally formal
decisions—such as the use of color, language, and pattern—into
opportunities to create new characters, develop sub-plots, and convey
symbolic
meaning. Hancock’s paintings often rework Biblical stories
that the artist learned as a child from his family and local church
community. Balancing moral dilemmas with wit and a musical sense
of language and color, Hancock’s works create a painterly space
of psychological dimension. Trenton Doyle Hancock was featured in
the 2000 and 2002 Whitney Biennial exhibitions, becoming one of
the youngest artist in history to participate in this prestigious
survey. His work has been the subject of one-person exhibitions
at the Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, the Modern Art Museum
of Fort Worth, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami.
The recipient of numerous awards, Hancock lives and works in Houston
where he was a 2002 Core Artist in Residence at the Glassell School
of Art of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
For additional biographic & bibliographic information:
James Cohan Gallery, New York | Dunn & Brown Contemporary, Dallas
Trenton Doyle Hancock on the Art21 blog |
