#roberthogan

Robert Hogan I’ve Never Liked the Straight and Narrow Path 2018 Watercolour and aerosol on paper Various dimensions

I’ve Never Liked the Straight & Narrow Path addresses Hogan's interest in the historical archetypes of the ‘outdoorsman’ or ‘sportsman’, through the appropriation of subjects from vintage outdoor enthusiast media. He traces the chain of appropriation occurring within this scene, from the original inclusion of these illustrations within hunting magazines, to Ralph Lauren's adaption of them within his clothing line and the eventual co-opting of Ralph Lauren Polo by the hip hop subculture since the 1980s.

The appropriation and repossession of material not specifically intended for specific audiences, is an attitude that has been embodied within hip hop culture from its early roots, in order to reinterpret existing ideas through an individuals unique experience of urban living.

Hogan wishes to continue this tradition by utilising watercolour to express the energy of youth, the art of exploration, and the thrill of risk through participation within modern subcultures.

20 July 2017

Robert Hogan I’ve Never Liked the Straight and Narrow Path, 2017 Watercolour on paper  42 x 59.4 cm

My work addresses the concept of the terrain vague, which is an indeterminate or residual space that offers a sense of freedom from the homogeneity of the city. The imprecise limits of these spaces allow for the possibility of expression and alternative activities to flourish beyond the rigidity of constructed and controlled spaces. Drawing upon my experience in subcultures centred around disobedience, these sites only thrive until the intervention of outside forces instil order and render the flows, energies and rhythms as mere artefacts of what the transitory space once was.