Tim Hawkinson: BodyCon at UT Scarfone/Hartley Gallery Oct. 6–Nov 3

The University of Tampa’s Scarfone/Hartley Gallery will present Tim Hawkinson: BodyCon, a solo exhibition showcasing unique works of variable media from throughout this groundbreaking artist’s career. The exhibition runs from Oct. 6–Nov. 3, with an opening reception on Oct. 6 at 8 p.m.

A Friends Preview of the exhibition will take place on Friday, Oct. 6, at 6 p.m. with the artist providing a special tour of the show for Friends of the Gallery members. RSVP to Jocelyn Boigenzahn, gallery director, at (813) 253-6217 or jboigenzahn@ut.edu.

Hawkinson’s idiosyncratic creations are meditations on nature, machines, mortality, the body and human consciousness. Since the 1980s, the artist has used common found and store-bought materials, handcrafted objects and machines to shift familiar subject matter off-kilter, constructing visual conundrums and conceits imbued with deeper meaning.

The artist’s inventive works range in size from monumental kinetic and sound-producing sculptures to almost microscopic pieces fabricated from such unassuming materials as eggshells and electrical cords.

Signature pieces in BodyCon will include “Gimbled Klein Basket,” a huge gridded bamboo structure suspended from the ceiling like a Calder mobile, and “Laocoon,” a hanging piece that appears to be a salvaged truck tire painted white, yet is carefully handcrafted from paper, wire, string, foam and rubber.

Driven by ideas, materials and an interest in transformation, Hawkinson continues to create unlikely and thought-provoking associations by transforming common materials into works of art.

A number of Hawkinson’s works in the exhibition use unorthodox methods to explore self-portraiture, including “Hangmanofmycircumference,” which utilizes dozens of belts wrapped on a wire armature to suggest a full-length standing figure. Objects like a silver quilt featuring a blown-up image of the artist’s footprint sewn into the fabric and a time-lapse photograph of a sunrise made with a digital photo-scanner also investigate the nature of the self in time.

Hawkinson has participated in numerous exhibitions in the United States and abroad, including such important surveys as the Venice Biennale (1999), the Whitney Biennial (2002) and the Corcoran Biennial in Washington, D.C. (2003).

The gallery is located on campus at the R.K. Bailey Art Studios at 310 N. Blvd. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday. There is no charge for admission.

For more information, contact Boigenzahn at (813) 253-6217 or jboigenzahn@ut.edu.