I am an artist and life-long resident of Nashville, TN. My work is heavily influenced by American folk art, graffiti and underground comix. I primarily work in acrylics on canvas but I often incorporate found pieces of paper or other objects in my paintings. I also dabble in sculpture using wood and found objects to create robots.
Some of my art is below. More can be viewed at my website.
www.mrhooperart.com
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Many people ask me about my curious obsession with Abe Lincoln. It stems from a hallucination I had while suffering through a sever bout of food poisoning. In the hallucination, there was a voodoo doctor who led me into a room with numerous folk art figures cut out of tin and wood. The voodoo doctor instructed me to eat one of the figures because it would make me well. Unfortunately, he would not tell me which one to eat. Only through a process of trial-and-error would I discover that Abe Lincoln was the one who restored my health. Since that event, I have met many people who share my obsession with Abe.
Where I live:
I draw a lot of inspiration from my neighborhood. I live on the east side of Nashville. It is a rapidly changing area filled with interesting dynamics. There are beautifully restored historic homes just blocks away from crack houses and street corner prostitutes. There is always the uncomfortable juxtaposition of street hustlers and yuppies.
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