Howard Hersh artist statement
6/2026

As a full-time studio artist for over 40 years, I think of my work in the context of an ongoing thread of creativity.  Similar to diary entries, the one consistent element in my work is me.  Through incremental changes in my thinking, my focus, and the mechanics of the craft itself, the work has evolved organically.  I subscribe to the famous Chuck Close quote; “Inspiration is for amateurs, the rest of us just show up and get to work”.

One could say that the foundation of my practice is philosophical; that is, I believe oneness and the inter-connectivity of all things as my baseline.  I have strived to portray this belief by using imagery that is commonly not associated with each other, like organic and geometric, to illustrate the connectivity.

For the last 10 or so years, my focus has shifted to the differences between painting and sculpture.  After all, paintings are pictures of things, while sculptures are things.  Yet, true to my core beliefs, I’ve endeavored to blend the two.  In the beginning, I utilized exposed framework in the paintings to blur the distinctions.  Lately, I’ve added illusionistic techniques to the physicality of the constructed works.

While these pursuits are embedded in my work, I don’t expect viewers to come away with ideas of “meaning”.  Rather, I would hope my work evokes feelings of curiosity and appreciation.

Timelines: A Painter’s Progress
Inclusions Gallery, San Francisco, Ca
Mar.18-Apr.22 2023

Most of the work in this exhibition is titled “Timelines”.  While the work continues in the vein of wall sculpture, the new element in this series is an exploration of gradients. Gradients reminds me, in a way, of time lapse photography.  The juxtaposition of different values, while speaking of relationships and context, also refer to the passing of time, as in a color bleaching out over time.  So, each color value articulates themselves as unique, in space and time.  That is, they cannot exist in the same moment, but are separate and equally important.

Similarly, when I think of my work over the last forty years, I can visualize it as time lapse photography.  The many different series, styles, genres, and mediums have all been unique and important individually, but in a sense, all parts of one grand symphony. 

The title of the exhibit, “A Painter’s Progress”, is a take-off of the literary work, “Pilgrim’s Progress”.  By eliminating the religious connotation, the message is the same.  That our “Progress” is a journey, fraught with ups and downs, accomplishments and defeats.  Forget about the destination, and enjoy the ride.

Spring, 2021

Humans are a diverse and complex creation.  So, it’s no surprise that I would pursue my goal of expression by way of several disparate series.  I think of this in terms of a multi-faceted stone.  Reflecting different views of itself, the artist similarly spins off ideas, feelings, and concepts that require more than one point of view.  While structure is my focus, its ubiquity calls for an examination in multiple ways.  Here is a brief explanation of the four series that I’m currently working on:

“Skin Deep” is a series that I started almost ten years ago.  I began by expanding the idea of structure beyond mere presentation, into letting the structure break out of the picture, creating a sculptural object.  The title refutes itself, as the works depth and presence imply that there is much more to behold under the surface.

The “Migration” series began in 2018. The title refers to movement.  Migration is, of course, a very loaded word in these times.  For me, the movement is back and forth between painting and sculpture.  Change is inherent in artmaking, and it serves me well, in a liberating and creative way.

“Axis Mundi” is a series of 2D paintings, where the structural imagery is illustrative.  I’m giving myself the liberty to concentrate on the physicality of the paint, in order to expand and develop my ideas.  The title refers to the place between heaven and earth.  I interpret that to be the artists intentions, and their actual creations.

“Roundabout”, my most recently started series, takes the subject of structure into a more playful realm.  The concept of a continuous and perpetual journey, one with many entrances and exits, is a fitting description of an artist’s path.  This is a lifework that I happily embrace.

Daily Practice
March, 2020

“Just finish 100 paintings”.  That was an admonition to me from an art teacher over 40 years ago.  His point was that you learn how to paint by not simply studying it, but by actually doing it.  As I found out, artmaking and problem solving go hand in hand.  Of course, my teacher was correct.  To finish an artwork, means to resolve it.  My personal benchmark for this is that there is nothing about the piece that bothers me or feels incomplete.

As time goes on, our tool box grows.  Techniques are learned, materials are explored, and our ability to critique our own work improves.  This helps to focus more on intention.  That is, what we would like to express to the world.

For me, Daily Practice is a continuation of this concept.  I’m reminded of the Tortoise and the Hare fable.  Through slow, but steady application, our goals can be reached.  For an artist, that means finishing an artwork to resolution, and communicating a message or a feeling to the viewer.

Over the decades, my work has changed many times.  But these changes did not come out of thin air.  Each change was born and nurtured by the work that came before it.  When asked how long an artwork took to complete, I tell the inquirer my age.

So, I continue my Daily Practice.  Remembering that the objective is not the destination, but the journey.