Street art-inspired paintings on display at Merced College Gallery
The Merced College Gallery is hosting an exhibit this month of the street art-inspired paintings of Jay Hill, a Fremont-based artist and software engineer.
Hill, 53, was in Merced last week for an opening night reception for his show, which is titled “Endure.” The show runs through Feb. 4.
He spoke with a gallery full of art students from Merced College, telling them he gets much of his inspiration from renowned artists such as Banksy and Shepard Fairey. “A lot of what influences me is street art,” he said.
Though he took two art classes in college in 1984, he said, it wasn’t until he watched the documentary “Exit Through the Gift Shop” in 2011 that he ramped up his art production. The documentary is about Banksy, an acclaimed artist who makes street art – what some might call vandalism.
Hill, who writes iTunes software for Apple, said he also draws inspiration from music like that of composer John Cage, who is known for applying an element of chance to his music-making.
When in a rut, Hill said, he’ll often try something risky or unusual. “It almost always turns out good,” he said. “And, if not, you can always paint over it.”
About a dozen of his pieces, all of which are acrylic paintings of faces, hang in the Merced College Gallery as part of the show. Some are inspired by real people – including baseball hero Jackie Robinson, technology mogul Steve Jobs and mixed martial arts fighter Chuck Liddell – while others are a mixture of faces.
Susanne French, art gallery coordinator, said the show is one of the eight hosted in the gallery each year. The artists are always California-based, she said, and are picked from a pool of applicants.
She also said the exhibits must tie into the art classes taught on campus.
The Merced College Gallery is open from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and from noon to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and by appointment. For more information, call French at (209) 384-6064, or email her at french.s@mccd.edu.
Hill’s art can also be seen at www.jayhillart.com.
Sun-Star staff writer Thaddeus Miller can be reached at (209) 385-2453 or tmiller@mercedsunstar.com.
This story was originally published January 25, 2015 at 7:57 PM with the headline "Street art-inspired paintings on display at Merced College Gallery."