Houldsworth is pleased to announce the second solo exhibition of London-based artist Paul Hodgson. In new photographs Hodgson continues to employ the formal aesthetics of painting, through his concentrated emphasis on light, colour and texture. Finished works are still highly dramatic, enforced by the steady, unrelenting gaze of the sitter, the use of theatrical costumes and the appropriation of poses found in traditional portraiture. Whereas previous work has traced the history of painting, in this new work Hodgson expands this, taking with him photography and social history.
The work in this show often concentrates on men and masculinity, issues of territory, dominance and social positioning. At the same time the work's unspoken narrative and plotless scenarios create an ambiguity and uncertainty, repositioning assumptions of history, whilst remaining fiercely modern. There is no specific narrative running through the individual images, but one is implied through Hodgson's use of source material, props and costumes. As well as being references to World War II and the American Civil War, several pieces in this show are reminiscent of work by painters such as Courbert and Da Vinci. Individual portraits meanwhile, including Poor Boy, Reclining Figure and Man looking Outwards are intended as a single loaded icon of a particular time and feeling.
In all of Hodgson's photographs, conclusions can be made about the subjects stature, disposition and relationships with their companions. However, stripping the scene of the renaissance trimmings Hodgson creates a disconcerting ambiquity, and further allows the viewer to consider contemporary issues of human behaviour and identity, offering something between irony and genuine emotion. By continuing to push the starkly modern into a strangely familiar image Hodgson continues to expand his references and in doing so furthers his concerns with cultural, historical and social issues.
Following his first solo exhibition at Houldsworth, Reluctant Creator, his work has been placed into several public and private collections, including Ferens Art Gallery, Hull, Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust, New Orleans Museum of Art, and the Monsen Collection, Seattle. Hodgson has recently started working with Feigen Contemporary, New York. His work has been profiled extensively in the press, including a feature in Portfolio and as the subject of a leader column in the Guardian.
