Previous: A Scattering of Ashes
Welcome to The Lost Canyon Project.
This blog will be a chronicle of The Project, which is photographing and sorting the huge collection of Pete Hampton's artwork. There are three tasks at hand, here:
The first, of course, is photographing and cataloguing the paintings, a straightforward job.
The second is to tell Pete's story. This will be difficult.
The third task is mapping out the strange web of coincidences that led to this project. This, for now, will provide the framework for the first and second tasks.
I will not be the sole contributor to the blog. Pete touched many people, and no one who met Pete Hampton ever forgot him. I have made contact with some of Pete's old friends. I hope to be able to publish their recollections. Pete's brother and sister in law, Richard and Geri will also be providing content.
But the ultimate job here is to bring Pete Hampton's art to the world, so to speak. This blog is here so that you, the reader, will have a chance to see this magnificent work, hear Pete's strange and often terrifying stories, and meet the tragic genius who created all this.
These are my first steps into this adventure. Most of this is unexplored territory. As I said earlier, the collection of paintings is huge, much larger than we anticipated. I have no idea how many there are, or how they are organized. We had only two days to move all of Pete’s things out of a crowded apartment, and a storage space that was packed to the ceiling. It was chaotic having to get it all done so quickly.
Most, but not all of Pete’s work is boxed, and, I hope, in some sort of order. We shall see.
This blog will be a chronicle of The Project, which is photographing and sorting the huge collection of Pete Hampton's artwork. There are three tasks at hand, here:
The first, of course, is photographing and cataloguing the paintings, a straightforward job.
The second is to tell Pete's story. This will be difficult.
The third task is mapping out the strange web of coincidences that led to this project. This, for now, will provide the framework for the first and second tasks.
I will not be the sole contributor to the blog. Pete touched many people, and no one who met Pete Hampton ever forgot him. I have made contact with some of Pete's old friends. I hope to be able to publish their recollections. Pete's brother and sister in law, Richard and Geri will also be providing content.
But the ultimate job here is to bring Pete Hampton's art to the world, so to speak. This blog is here so that you, the reader, will have a chance to see this magnificent work, hear Pete's strange and often terrifying stories, and meet the tragic genius who created all this.
These are my first steps into this adventure. Most of this is unexplored territory. As I said earlier, the collection of paintings is huge, much larger than we anticipated. I have no idea how many there are, or how they are organized. We had only two days to move all of Pete’s things out of a crowded apartment, and a storage space that was packed to the ceiling. It was chaotic having to get it all done so quickly.
Most, but not all of Pete’s work is boxed, and, I hope, in some sort of order. We shall see.
The first group of photos is from a
random assortment of unboxed paintings. Most are early pieces. Some of these
are what Pete regarded as his finest work, and some are sketches, or small, hastily done pieces on
paper. Some of the pieces have titles, or notations on the back. Pete's titles and comments are noted in italics beneath the photos. When this lot is taken care of we’ll
move on to the boxed work.
The project will unfold as it will.
JW MacLean
Pete was fascinated with telephone poles, and especially, insulators. He had a collection of hundreds of power line insulators.
Whittier Hills
An early work. Dragonflies were a favorite subject, as were the phone poles, and insulators.
Next: The Web of Coincidence.
JW MacLean
Archive #1
Pic 001 mat
board, 10 1/8 X 14 3/8”
Pic 002
canvas board, 12 X 24”, 1972
Whittier Hills
Pic 003 paper, 8 1/2 X 14 5/8”
Pic 004
Dragonfly in Orange Grove, paper, 1964, 14 3/4 X 11”
$240.00 NOT
FOR SALE
“My very
Best one- Saved for a collector of my better ones.
Dragonfly in
orange grove Now gone Shanahan homes area 1963”
This grove was just up the street from the house my family rented on Citrus Drive in La Habra. I remember the bulldozers ripping it out to make way for a tract of houses.
Next: The Web of Coincidence.
Pete's paintings capture the rare character of these lands before modern development went over the top. I wish I could see more Dragonflys about. Only a red one here and there in the spring when I'm lucky and they land on a dried Hollyhock stem in my backyard. I really think that you should have a show at the Shannon Center for a start.
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