Judith Hooks and Harold Annen
have been collaborating in
paint for five years. From the
outset, Hooks and Annen have
displayed a unique capacity
for collaboration, including
being able to paint on the
same painting at the same
time.
Their approach involves a
combination of Old Masters and
Impressionist techniques,
employing oil, varnish,
enamel, inks, and powered
pigments. Their paintings are
inspired by colors found in
nature, the art of the
hand-made mark, and the allure
of gold. Foregoing brushes
for inscribing tools, the team
fills the surface with marks
inspired by Asian and Middle
Eastern calligraphy. The
results are complex works of
great individuality which
continue to challenge the
audience even after many
viewings.
The title of this exhibition
-‘Alchemical Investigations’ -
refers both to the ancient
practice of Alchemy and to
Ludwig Wittgenstein’s famous
work, Philosophical
Investigations. It is meant to
express the ongoing, creative
and deliberate nature of
Judith and Harold’s painting
practices. The ‘alchemical’
aspect of the work comes from
the way in which relatively
common matter - pigment, oil,
varnish - is transformed by
creative effort into something
completely different: a
painting. Each painting is ...

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