Carlson Hatton’s solo exhibition Counterfeit Immortality, previously on view at Good Mother Gallery’s Los Angeles location from March 1-27, 2025, was a vibrant exploration of identity, memory, coexistence, and the surreal nature of contemporary life. For his first solo show with Good Mother, Hatton presented a range of work spanning a period of 5 years, often exploring disjointed figures that fluctuate between gestural abstraction and comic infused figuration.
Hatton's work has long been characterized by dense patterning, bright colors, and a collage-like approach that blends abstraction and figuration, often featuring cartoonish characters. In Counterfeit Immortality, the works fluidly intertwine acrylic paint airbrush, printmaking techniques, and pastels to pull the viewer into a realm of vivid hallucinogenic landscapes. Whether it be surrealist manifestations on inanimate objects, pertinent takes on political commentary, or the exposition of the intimate interior lives of individuals and groups, each piece weaves together a unique story that compels a viewer to decipher it.
Counterfeit Immortality garnered attention precisely for its emotionally charged, vibrant compositions that challenged viewers to navigate complex detours, returns, and stories within stories. Drawing inspiration from artists like Van Gogh, Hatton grappled with memory, real and imagined, and invited us to dive into an interior realm and the psychedelic world outside of oneself.
Born in 1974, Hatton received his BFA from The Cooper Union in New York and completed a two-year postgraduate program at De Ateliers in Amsterdam. He is also a Laureate of the Jan van Eyck Academie in Maastricht. His work has been extensively exhibited internationally, including at the Torrance Art Museum, Carnegie Art Museum, and Da Weng Residency in Shenzhen, China. Hatton's pieces are included in several notable collections, such as the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation and Metro Art in Los Angeles. He has notably served as a Professor of Fine Art and Division Head of Drawing at Santa Monica College for decades.
Select pieces from Counterfeit Immortality are still available for purchase. Please direct inquiries to info@goodmothergallery.com for more information.
