Trenton Doyle Hancock
Early Life & Education:
Hancock’s art was significantly influenced by his upbringing in the town of Paris, Texas. Church was a central focus of his childhood, as his stepdad was a minister.[1] Thus, religious tropes and themes are abundant in his works, such as recurring references to redemption and the Eucharist.
Work:
Hancock is known for his visual work that focuses on the Mounds and the Vegans, two forces that are constantly dueling with one another and serve as a representation of the eternal battle between good and evil. This extended series also serves to explore Hancock's mythology of the two forces, which gives him the opportunity to develop his concepts at length.[2] He has structured this world to be one he can both occupy and continuously rework, depicting the life stages of a variety of characters, such as the Mounds: ancient half-human and half-plant creatures which were created thousands of years ago when a human male ejaculated into a field of flowers.[3] The Vegans are malevolent beings who seek to destroy all Mounds, especially "The Legend": the original Mound, and the most despised among Vegans. The Vegans are meant to symbolize those who are determined to force their beliefs on others, whereas the Mounds symbolize the Earth, acceptance, love, and progressive behaviors.[4] Other key characters in Hancock's works are Painter, a maternal spirit who governs color, Loid, a paternal energy focused on words, and Torpedo Boy, an unheroic super hero alter ego that Hancock created as a child. Torpedo Boy has superhuman strength, but his human emotions—especially his pride—prevent him from performing his heroic duties to their fullest extent.[5]
Trenton Doyle Hancock is known for taking risks in his art, and has stated that he is typically the most interested in his art when he feels he has done something daring with it: whether it deals with social dilemmas, universal issues, or personal matters.[6] Regarding the idea of the Vegans and Torpedo Boy being metaphors for good and evil in his works, Hancock states: "Hopefully there's a range of what the Vegans are, and what Torpedo Boy is. You can choose to identify with that range or not. I came from a household where there were very strict ideas about what good and evil are. When I left home I realized that didn't really work for me, that life was a huge grey area. That became more interesting."[7]
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- ^ Salamon, Jeff (June 2014). "He'll always have Paris: Trenton Doyle Hancock's art may be otherworldly, but it's deeply rooted in his Texas upbringing."". Texas Monthly. 42.
- ^ "Trenton Doyle Hancock, EMIT: What the Bringback Brought". The Ringling. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
- ^ "Storytelling—Characters and Colors — Art21". Art21. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
- ^ Cruz, Melissa (August 12, 2012). "Trenton Doyle Hancock: Coloring Veganism" (PDF). James Cohan Gallery.
- ^ "Storytelling—Characters and Colors — Art21". Art21. Retrieved 2017-05-24.
- ^ Dziedzic, Erin (26 February 2013). "Truth or Dare with Trenton Doyle Hancock". Artcore Journal.
- ^ Lehrer, Adam. "Glimpse Inside the Mind of Artist Trenton Doyle Hancock at the Studio Museum in Harlem". Forbes. Retrieved 2017-05-24.