Julian Hatton

Julian Hatton’s work focusses on an exploration of the natural world. Drawn to abstract formalism, Hatton balances his compositions through the use of saturated colours and strong geometric forms resulting in expressive scenes that reflect the light and vibrancy of the landscape. Hatton works both outside, within the landscape, particularly inspired by Maine and the countryside near his home in upstate New York, as well as in the studio, also taking inspiration from the vibrancy and chaos of New York City’s landscape. Often returning to works and building new scenes on top of the existing canvas, or making additions, Hatton uses this process to solve compositional problems. He is drawn to abstract formalism, seeking to reduce the landscape to its essential parts. In his paintings, landscapes become blurred by the use of bold lines and strong geometric forms. As a result, Hatton’s paintings capture the cacophony of the natural world and its raw power; his works are characterised by sudden shifts in scale and brushstrokes which lend them a dynamic energy. 

Julian Hatton was born in Grand Haven, Michigan in 1956. He received his BA degree, majoring in History of Art, from Harvard University in 1979 before studying at the New York Studio School of Painting, Drawing and Sculpture, from 1980 to 1982. Hatton’s work has been exhibited extensively in the United States as well as France and Japan. He has been awarded a National Endowment for the Arts in 1993, a fellowship from the New York Foundation for the Arts in 1998 and an award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2007. His work is held in several important permanent collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the Addison Gallery of American Art and the US Department of State.