Heidi Herrera
Cataloguer
Lot 12
HANK LUMEN(B. 1984)We Thought About It and Decided It Was a Terrible Idea, 2025
Ending from 2 May 2025, 12:00 PDT
Online, Los AngelesUS$2,000 - US$3,000
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Sharon Squires
Head of Department, Post-War & Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
Bids (US)
HANK LUMEN (B. 1984)
We Thought About It and Decided It Was a Terrible Idea, 2025
signed with the artist's initials 'HL' (lower right); dated '2025' (on the reverse)
acrylic and coffee on canvas
30 x 40 in.
76.2 x 101.6 cm.
signed with the artist's initials 'HL' (lower right); dated '2025' (on the reverse)
acrylic and coffee on canvas
30 x 40 in.
76.2 x 101.6 cm.
Footnotes
Provenance
Courtesy of the artist
"Every day I wake up compelled to do two things. One, create something visually interesting and two, make someone laugh. The paintings are pretty much that endeavor. I support this cause because I fundamentally support science, bodily autonomy, and anyone's pursuit of happiness that doesn't harm someone else's." -Hank Lumen
Artist Statement: Hank Lumen is a Weird Western painter working out of Santa Fe, NM. His paintings of cowboys, livestock, and celestial objects are products of imagination that come from working seemingly meaningless shapes until they look like recognizable figures—like seeing a teddy bear in a formation in clouds.
Hank describes his process as, "a meaningless buildup of tones, shapes, and textures—and then a very purposeful reduction of those into something of my choosing. That I happen to see lots of cowboys and animals is merely incidental or lazy." The paintings are rich with layers, texture, and movement that impart a raw, abrasively honest feeling about them.
Hank notes two major inspirations—the prehistoric cave art in Dordogne, France, and children's artwork—in directly shaping his own aspirations of creativity without preconception. Hank lives with his wife, Sheila, and their cat, Pickles.