Why We Love Artist Hunt Slonem

In honor of a very exciting event here in Springfield with Hunt Slonem, we thought it would only be appropriate to share a little bit about the artist we love so much. Since the late 1970’s, Slonem has made his impact on the world’s art scene with his exotic paintings. His art story truly began in New York City after meeting other artists like Andy Warholm Liza Minnelli, and Sylvia Miles. Novelist Tama Janowitz put it succinctly, saying, “His pictures are the subtext of Manhattan, an imaginary, vivid and grotesquely evocative world that bubbles beneath the paved-over, gray city of New York which he physically inhabits — a city where people have come from all over the world, bringing their images of other places and other lives with them.

Fast forward a few decades and Slonem’s works have become coveted pieces in collections across the world, including the private collections of Sharon Stone, Gina Gershon, Brooke Shields, Julianne Moore, Mandy Moore, Kate Hudson, and J.Lo – just to name a few. Nathan Taylor and J. Kent Martin have also been collecting Slonem’s work for many years, also being captured by his vibrant and whimsical art.

Perhaps his most recognizable and popular paintings are of the bunnies, a staple piece of any art filled luxury home. But his repertoire is vast, yet always recognizable as 100% Hunt Slonem. He often repeats imagery in his series because, he told the Wall Street Journal, the act is similar to spiritual meditation: “Mantras are holy because you repeat them.” This theme continued to inspire Slonem over the years and is as prominent today as it was 30 years ago.

We also love Slonem’s maximilist studio spaces. Filled to the brim with collections of hundreds of things that inspire him while working, his studios have become eye candy and inspiration for designers everywhere. Take a look at his space below…

His art and beautiful life can be difficult to describe perfectly, but we think Hunt said it best: “I would say my whole life could be summed up by the word ‘exotica”.