Electronic Paintings is a series that merges classical portraiture with modern technology — specifically electronic music, artificial intelligence, and digital sketching. The collection was previewed in an exclusive event at the National Portrait Gallery in London, hosted by Clarendon Fine Art in the gallery's Weston Wing.
The central premise of the series is the translation of sound into brushstrokes. Hook collaborated with electronic music artists, including DJ Archie Hamilton, to capture the essence of a track on canvas. The paintings are designed to visualise the rhythmic tension and release found in electronic music — the build, the anticipation, and the drop — using multi-dimensional, layered techniques that mirror the structure of the music itself. The series also integrates AI-generated imagery and retro gaming textures, inspired by Atari, alongside traditional oil painting.
Visually, the works are defined by their use of neon and fluorescent paints, sometimes enhanced by UV ground-lighting in gallery settings to create a glowing, transformative viewing experience. Hook builds deep, transparent layers using gels and acrylics, allowing past and present imagery to converge on a single surface. The palette is bold — vivid scarlets and primary colours set against classical subjects, creating a striking tension between the historical and the contemporary.
The series encompasses both figurative and equine subjects. Works like Trance Horse in Deep House blend classical equine imagery with vibrant neon colour and time-lapse effects to emphasise motion, while pieces like Imagine and Prompt explore the human figure through the same electrified lens. Together, the collection represents one of Hook's most ambitious fusions of art, science, and technology.
2024 · 5 works
Bather Kneeling in Digital Bath
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