Studio Visit with Hugo McCloud in Bushwick, Brooklyn
In the studio with Hugo McCloud, Bushwick, February 2016.
Last week on a mild winter afternoon, I paid a visit to Hugo McCloud's studio in Bushwick, the contemporary abstract artist who produces exquisitely beautiful canvases sourced from industrial materials. Hailing from the Bay Area in San Francisco, McCloud relocated to New York a few years ago, leaving behind a career in modern furniture design to aggressively pursue the path of an artist. McCloud exhibited solo for the first time in 2014, at Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld's project space, a sophisticated townhouse nestled on the Upper East side in Manhattan, and has been steadily rising ever since. In 2015, McCloud joined Sean Kelly's A-list artist roster, where he was given a solo exhibit 'Palindrome', following a previous summer group show with the gallery in 2014.
The beauty of McCloud's work is the juxtaposition between urban decay and a certain level of emotionality and vulnerability present in the work. Working with hard-edged construction resources like aluminum sheeting, tar paper, copper, metal, steel - and combined with color pigments - McCloud creates visually stimulating chromatic stories, evoking a certain coolness and serenity. Completely self-taught as a fine artist, McCloud inserts his industrial design skills through blowtorches, hammers, and oxidation techniques - along with artisanal woodblock printing - to achieve his semi-romantic, highly textured canvases. An avid traveler, McCloud draws inspiration from destinations such as India, Mexico (Tulum), South Africa, and Indonesia ( an artist residency), to immerse himself in new cultures and translate what he's learned into his work.
Hugo McCloud's most recent solo show 'Timeline' was held at Fondazione 107, which closed December 2015. McCloud is currently included in the group show 'A Constellation' at the Studio Museum in Harlem, on view through March 6, 2016. As he preps for the upcoming 2016 editions The Armory Show and Art Basel Hong Kong, I visit his studio for a firsthand look into his work and process.
Follow Hugo McCloud on Instagram @hugomccloudstudio
In the studio with Hugo McCloud, Bushwick, February 2016.
In the studio with Hugo McCloud, Bushwick, February 2016.
In the studio with Hugo McCloud, Bushwick, February 2016.
In the studio with Hugo McCloud, Bushwick, February 2016.
In the studio with Hugo McCloud, Bushwick, February 2016.
In the studio with Hugo McCloud, Bushwick, February 2016.
In the studio with Hugo McCloud, Bushwick, February 2016.
In the studio with Hugo McCloud, Bushwick, February 2016.
In the studio with Hugo McCloud, Bushwick, February 2016.
In the studio with Hugo McCloud, Bushwick, February 2016.
In the studio with Hugo McCloud, Bushwick, February 2016.
In the studio with Hugo McCloud, Bushwick, February 2016. (The artist's beloved dog Gustav)
