"If paint doesn't feel good coming off the brush, you pretty much have nothing. The artist's canvases depict humanity in all its rollicking riot and contradiction, packing vast density of information onto stunningly small surfaces through over-the-top fantasias that ruminate on what-if propositions applied to known histories."
"With a hyperrealist, maximalist approach, Harkness builds worlds complete with preternatural beauty, optimism, and joy, while simultaneously littering them with human foibles - revenge, power, hubris, gore, kink. Her cross-sections of battleships inspired by World War II vessels reveal gender-neutral and queer orgies; she exposes psychological truths behind iconic relationships."
"Her canvases lure viewers in with the bait of recognizable elements and figuration, drawing them into another universe until they find themselves wondering how they got there. The way her mind works in conversation feels similar; she can freely reel off facts that connect disparate subjects like Richard Scarry, hydraulic mining, and the mystical relationship between artistic tools."
Hilary Harkness is an artist known for creating intricate, densely packed paintings on surprisingly small canvases that explore historical narratives through imaginative reinterpretations. Her work combines hyperrealist and maximalist approaches to depict complex human experiences, incorporating both beauty and darker elements like revenge, power, and gore. Her subjects range from World War II battleships reimagined with queer imagery to historical figures like Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, and women who served in the Civil War. Harkness maintains an enigmatic presence, avoiding self-portraiture and photography while centering others in her artistic practice. Her paintings draw viewers into alternate universes by using recognizable elements and figuration as entry points.
Read at Hyperallergic
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