Nic Hess
Jul 28, 2009    posted by: Jason Wong

I had the opportunity of stopping by the Hammer Museum today.  Although I was there for a screening of Aïda Ruilova most recent video, I also had the pleasure of seeing Swiss-born artist, Nic Hess's installation in the Main Lobby.  His work really made me do a double-take for his medium I find very intriguing.  Hess creates wall works nearly entirely out of masking tape!  Applying layer by layer using bought materials for his compositions.  A key feature to the display at The Hammer is Hess's interplay of fine art, commercial and pop with tape and wallpaper.  His influence from graphic design is made clear with this color balancing and surface textures, yet his work is simply much more than just images of everyday commodities.  They are intrusions of space with the fervor of graffiti art and the aesthetic of contemporary design.