Curatorial

Stephen Hayes: Cash Crop
Trahern Gallery, Aug. 24-Sept. 21, 2015

exhibition catalogue

Art is an exercise in creating form and content. Form by itself can be appealing, but without a driving concept, it often fails in asking a purpose. A concept without execution often becomes inaccessible, therefore rendering it ineffective and futile. Both can be intriguing by themselves, but artwork that can successfully combine the two can captivate, provoke, stimulate, challenge and transform those who are fortunate enough to experience it.

When I first saw Stephen Hayes’ Cash Crop several years ago in Columbia, South Carolina, it possessed the one-two punch that I seek when viewing art. The power of the work was immediately present and poignant; I couldn’t help but recognize the small tear running down my cheek.

It is not often that an artist finds the perfect combination of voice and physicality, but when they do, it can be extremely powerful. Cash Crop is one of those bodies of work.

- Michael Dickins, Gallery Director