The Birmingham Art Crawl rings in the New Year this Thursday, Jan. 7, as downtown venues host a colorful lineup of local artists. The first featured artist of 2016, Dale Hogeland, will be displaying his artwork for Art Crawl patrons at Urban Standard on Second Avenue North.
A Birmingham native, Hogeland says he returned to creating art only recently. “After some years of letting life get the better of me, I needed to get back to being creative.”
Hogeland channels his creativity into paintings and mixed media pieces that hearken to the imagery of the atomic age design movement of the mid-20th century.
“I draw inspiration from old neon signs, cars with fins, the ’50s and ’60s vision of ‘the future,’ and from a lot of art and commercial design from that era,” he says. “Joan Miro and Jackson Pollock are a couple of artists I greatly admire.”
Hogeland explores these atomic age themes in a variety of ways. “Right now I am primarily doing most of my work with spray paint on plywood. Some pieces are more mixed media … with pieces of wire, or found objects. I’ve done a couple using old bowling trophies, and some with chrome trim from old cars. I’d like to start back painting with more traditional mediums, acrylic or oils on canvas, but right now I’m having fun doing what I’m doing.”
Indeed, Hogeland’s work emits an energy that showcases the joy of its creation. “Mostly I just make stuff that I like to look at, and if other people like it (and want to buy it) so much the better.”
Highlights of the Birmingham Art Crawl: Thursday, Jan. 7, 5-9 p.m.
More than 20 artists at various locations throughout Central City neighborhood
Instructional drawing class with Andy Jordan at Space One Eleven
First Thursday galleries, tapas, and more at Birmingham Museum of Art