Opening Reception: Friday, November 11, 2005 6-8pm
In his third exhibition with the gallery, Hilliard presents Desired Effect, a series of
multi-panel constructed color photographs which explore the emotional,
psychological and sexual dynamics of fantasy, longing and desire. As Hilliard
explains, “My newer work takes a deeper look at what we seek out in order to
complete our sense of self, and perhaps define us. Oftentimes what we buy,
plant, make or consume does the trick but more often than not leaves us wanting
more.” In what the artist describes as “epic photographs of a mundane world,”
Hilliard’s subjects are depicted in a search for empowerment or self-definition,
longing for or clinging to everything from a shiny sports car to melting candies,
from a sexual encounter to the pursuit of a youthful appearance to the
sanctification of motherhood. Striking a balance between autobiography and
fiction, Hilliard reveals the average person’s struggle with sexuality, aging and
social expectations.
Hilliard received an MFA from Yale and is the recipient of numerous awards
including a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship and a Fulbright Grant. His work
is represented in major public collections including the Whitney Museum of
American Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Fogg Museum.
Hilliard’s first monograph was published in 2005 by Aperture.
