Jeffrey Hale studied at both SLCC and The University of Utah. He paints stylized figures that focus on texture and shape. His work is at IAO Gallery and Evergreen Framing & Gallery.
photo by Kelly Green
15 Bytes Article
Jeff Hale: Doing It His Way
A new body of portrait work at The Hive
by Ehren Clark | photos by Kelly Green
In 1435, Renaissance theorist Leon Battista Alberti set the course for how to best represent the human figure when he stated: “The movements of the soul are made known by the movements of the body.” This concept, where the inner life is revealed by the outer, had a tremendous influence on the painters of the time, and, though the statement has not remained part of today’s common artistic vernacular, the idea has resonated through the histories and is a reality in art today. The portraits of Utah painter Jeff Hale not only meet the age-old standard set by Alberti but also transcend it by capturing the distinctive character and individuality of each of his sitters. While every painting has the inimitable stylistic mark of this exceptional artist, each has a dimensional liveliness and distinguishing personality that is uniquely its own.
It is hard to look at Hale’s portraiture without appreciating his personal style. It is something, he says, that has grown from a love of artists such as Modigliani, a fascination with cubism and an interest in caricature. Although they are abstracted, the paintings have roots in a verisimilitude that is surprising. Hale chooses his models carefully, and photographs them in high resolution. From these images, he is able to distinguish identifying qualities that he then abstracts. “I don’t want a Xerox copy but an interpretation to capture the essence of the individual,” says Hale. “I want drama more than a straightforward portrait.”
Read the full article in the April 2012 edition of 15 Bytes.
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Categories: Painting | Utah Artists - H
