Geometric Abstraction – Untitled Composition (#42)

Bryce Hudson’s paintings are as notable for their nuance and sophistication as they are for their compositional drama. His geometric oil and acrylic on canvas paintings can be described as having a certain movement and three-dimensionality while retaining a reductive quality that is general to geometric abstraction. The hard-edged forms are bordered by bright bands of contrasting color of varying angle and width producing multiple fields of form and color that play against one another.

Using a strict geometric language, limited palette and consistent yet sophisticated compositional format, Hudson achieves a remarkable diversity within a narrow framework. Often is the case, architectural elements  are Hudson’s muse – flipping and dissecting elements, transforming them into a dizzying array of colors and shapes until all context is lost. The surprisingly bright color bands provide a rich contrast to the somber predominant blacks, grays and whites, and add weight and movement to the paintings.

For example, central areas in the paintings, rather than appearing completely static, have a subtle yet rich variety of tones, weight, and illusion of depth or flatness, all achieved by employing directional brushwork and few variations in surface finish. Hudson’s edges are taut and sharp, and there is an inner tensile strength expressed in the forms. The emphatic diagonal movement in many of his works relates a feeling of containment within the picture frame, and a further implication of spatial depth. The scale of the works ranges widely, from medium-format works on paper to long eight-foot horizontals.