Trenton Doyle Hancock's latest exhibition, "Draw Them In, Paint Them Out: Trenton Doyle Hancock Confronts Philip Guston," is a thought-provoking exploration of racism, identity, and the complexities of human nature. By drawing inspiration from Guston's legacy, Hancock creates a vibrant, cosmology of characters that embody the dark underbelly of American history.
Hancock's "Moundverse" - a pseudo-Biblical multiverse in which maxims become natural laws and all creatures worship the eponymous Mounds - is populated with figures such as Loid, a black-and-white figure of tension and variegation, at once a lynched Black man and a Ku Klux Klan member. There's also Painter, a colorful, voluminous matron spirit, and Torpedoboy, a bald Black man in a garish yellow kit, tasked with protecting the Mounds.
The mechanisms by which Hancock's anthropology is expressed - comic panel composition, material verbosity, characters that are at once demagogues and demigods - find their roots in stages of his evolution. His youth spent in the Bible Belt provided one seed, the legacy of Jim Crow and anti-Black violence supplied another, and the parochial paranoia of 1980s televangelists and Satanic Panic parishioners was yet one more.
Hancock's connection to Guston began when he encountered Robert Storr's monograph on the artist. He marveled at Guston's treatment of color and form, his scrutiny of routine, and his engagement in contradiction. Hancock frequently refers to Guston as his "artistic grandfather."
One of the most striking works in the exhibition is "Schlep and Screw, Knowledge Rental Pawn Exchange Service," which represents a spiritual encounter between Guston and Hancock by way of their avatars - the Klansman and Torpedoboy. The painting features Guston's Klansman extending an apple to Torpedoboy, with dialogue excised into their bodies.
In "Paris, Texas Fairgrounds" (2024), Hancock uses colorful clips of a Paris, Texas fair to juxtapose with black-and-white records and recollections of Henry Smith, the 17-year-old Black boy executed in 1893 by Klan members on the same fairgrounds. The painting serves as an effective preface to the visual language employed in the exhibition.
The questions that "Draw Them In, Paint Them Out" raises are uncomfortable ones, but they are long overdue. Hancock's artwork confronts the pathology of racism and its effects on individuals and society. By leveraging the baseline humor utilized by both Guston and himself, Hancock creates a dialogue between joviality and horror, inviting viewers to embark on a journey of reckoning.
Ultimately, "Draw Them In, Paint Them Out: Trenton Doyle Hancock Confronts Philip Guston" is an exhibition that challenges our perceptions of identity, racism, and the human condition. Through his vibrant artwork, Hancock offers a searing critique of America's past and present, one that demands we confront the dark underbelly of our nation's history and consider its ongoing impact on our lives today.
Hancock's "Moundverse" - a pseudo-Biblical multiverse in which maxims become natural laws and all creatures worship the eponymous Mounds - is populated with figures such as Loid, a black-and-white figure of tension and variegation, at once a lynched Black man and a Ku Klux Klan member. There's also Painter, a colorful, voluminous matron spirit, and Torpedoboy, a bald Black man in a garish yellow kit, tasked with protecting the Mounds.
The mechanisms by which Hancock's anthropology is expressed - comic panel composition, material verbosity, characters that are at once demagogues and demigods - find their roots in stages of his evolution. His youth spent in the Bible Belt provided one seed, the legacy of Jim Crow and anti-Black violence supplied another, and the parochial paranoia of 1980s televangelists and Satanic Panic parishioners was yet one more.
Hancock's connection to Guston began when he encountered Robert Storr's monograph on the artist. He marveled at Guston's treatment of color and form, his scrutiny of routine, and his engagement in contradiction. Hancock frequently refers to Guston as his "artistic grandfather."
One of the most striking works in the exhibition is "Schlep and Screw, Knowledge Rental Pawn Exchange Service," which represents a spiritual encounter between Guston and Hancock by way of their avatars - the Klansman and Torpedoboy. The painting features Guston's Klansman extending an apple to Torpedoboy, with dialogue excised into their bodies.
In "Paris, Texas Fairgrounds" (2024), Hancock uses colorful clips of a Paris, Texas fair to juxtapose with black-and-white records and recollections of Henry Smith, the 17-year-old Black boy executed in 1893 by Klan members on the same fairgrounds. The painting serves as an effective preface to the visual language employed in the exhibition.
The questions that "Draw Them In, Paint Them Out" raises are uncomfortable ones, but they are long overdue. Hancock's artwork confronts the pathology of racism and its effects on individuals and society. By leveraging the baseline humor utilized by both Guston and himself, Hancock creates a dialogue between joviality and horror, inviting viewers to embark on a journey of reckoning.
Ultimately, "Draw Them In, Paint Them Out: Trenton Doyle Hancock Confronts Philip Guston" is an exhibition that challenges our perceptions of identity, racism, and the human condition. Through his vibrant artwork, Hancock offers a searing critique of America's past and present, one that demands we confront the dark underbelly of our nation's history and consider its ongoing impact on our lives today.
, exploring the complexities of human nature through his 'Moundverse'. I'm fascinated by how he draws inspiration from Philip Guston's legacy to create these cosmic characters that embody the dark underbelly of American history. The way he weaves together elements of racism, identity, and humor is just mind-blowing 
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. By leveraging humor and a sense of wonder, Hancock invites us to confront the harsh realities of racism and its effects on individuals and society. It's like he's saying, "Hey, let's talk about this stuff, but let's do it in a way that's visually stunning and thought-provoking." I'm here for it 
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. And I love how he's using Guston as his "artistic grandfather" - it's like he's taking this giant leap forward in terms of exploring America's dark history 
. The fact that he's using humor and color to balance out the horror is genius, though - it's like he's saying, "Hey, we gotta talk about this stuff, but let's do it with some style 
. It's like he's tackling some really heavy stuff - racism, identity, human nature... the works 
. And I love how he's drawing inspiration from Guston's legacy to create this whole 'Moundverse' thing. It's wild to see these characters and worlds coming together like that 
. And at the same time, there are these super intense paintings that just hit you right in the gut 
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. Hancock is making us confront some of our deepest biases and fears, and that's not always easy to do 
Go see it, and let me know what you think! 
! Trenton Doyle Hancock's got some serious skills when it comes to exploring the complexities of human nature and racism. I love how he draws inspiration from Philip Guston's legacy and creates these vibrant, cosmology characters that embody the dark underbelly of American history. It's like he's taking us on a wild ride through the Moundverse 
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Hancock's got a unique voice and perspective, and it's refreshing to see someone pushing boundaries like this. He's not afraid to confront the pathology of racism and its effects on individuals and society.
- is pure genius. It's like he's holding up a mirror to America's past and present, forcing us to confront the dark underbelly of our nation's history. And I think that's exactly what we need more of right now 
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It's like a reflection of America's history, all its complexities and contradictions. What I'm taking away from this exhibition is that we need to keep having these conversations about racism and identity, even if they're hard to have 
Trenton Doyle Hancock is like a master storyteller with his Moundverse, it's like he's transported us into another world where we gotta confront the harsh realities of racism and identity. The way he blends humor with horror is so spot on, it's like he's speaking straight to our souls. And the connections between Guston and Hancock are like, whoa! It's like they're having a conversation through art, you feel? 
The way he uses humor and contradiction to tackle tough topics like racism and identity is really effective in making you feel uncomfortable, but also think deeply about it 
I'm not gonna lie, I got a little emotional seeing some of these pieces and remembering the struggles that Black people have faced in America 
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. His use of humor and satire is genius 
, and how he balances joviality with horror is just masterful 
. Hancock's artwork is like a mirror held up to America's past and present - it's raw, honest, and unsettling 
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the way he weaves together different storylines and characters is like a spell of reckoning, making us confront all our own biases and assumptions. it's scary, but necessary 
. It's like he's saying, "Hey, let's make art about the uncomfortable stuff, but with a dash of humor and humanity." And that dialogue between Guston and Torpedoboy? 
but seriously, this exhibit is giving me so much to think about. it's like, the more i learn about america's history and its impact on identity and racism, the more i realize how little we've really changed 
any way, if you haven't checked out this exhibit yet, you need to get on that ASAP 
i mean, how does he even balance all these different emotions and ideas into one show? it's like tryin' to solve a puzzle blindfolded 
. Anyway, I think this exhibition is a must-see for anyone interested in art, history, or just human nature in general 
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. It's like a mirror held up to society, reflecting all our deepest fears and anxieties 
. But at the same time, it's also incredibly hopeful, because if we can face these truths head-on, maybe we can start to heal and move forward 
. What are your thoughts on this exhibition? Have you seen any of Hancock's work before?