Nicholas Hondrogen
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| Nicholas Hondrogen | |
| Birth name | Nicholas John Hondrogen Jr. |
| Born | January 5, 1952 Concord, New Hampshire |
| Died | February 28, 2007 (aged 55) Amherst, Massachusetts |
| Nationality | American |
| Field | Painter |
| Movement | Abstract expressionism |
Nicholas Hondrogen (January 05, 1952 – February 28, 2007) was an American painter, photographer, sculptor, and filmmaker.
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[edit] Early life
Nicholas John Hondrogen, Jr. was born in Concord, New Hampshire in 1952, the oldest of five children. He grew up in New Hampshire, studying at Boston's School of the Museum of Fine Arts. There he was a student of the Flemish painter, Jan Cox. Cox pushed him to finish the 5 year program in 2 years. After graduating in 1971, Hondrogen painted outdoor murals in the Boston area under one of the last WPA programs.
[edit] Career
In 1972, Hondrogen moved to the suburbs of Paris and commuted to a tiny garage/studio in Belleville, in the 20th arrondisment. Showing in various group shows, his painting "Gymnopedi II" was purchased by Centre Georges Pompidou. His first one person exhibition was sponsored by a grant from the French Ministry of Cultural Affairs in May of 1974 at Espace Pierre Cardin and La Pochade Gallery. From that show, The Museum of Modern Art of Paris purchased his painting "Ghost Image No. 9.” In 1982, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art showed his "Additive/Subtractive" series of photographs.
In the early 90's, he moved to California turning his focus toward filmmaking, producing and directing the award winning feature documentary “Perfect Moment” where he asked the question “If you were to die tomorrow what moment would you most remember?” The film includes a diverse cross section of people from talk show host Larry King, actor Vincent Gallo, composer Phillip Glass to Vietnam veterans, homemakers and the homeless. The film was awarded the Audience Award at the 1997 Slamdance Film Festival.
After the completion of the film, Hondrogen once again returned to painting. First with his series Mumonkan lasting from 1996 to 2000, then Natural Selection 2000 to 2002 and finally his Fractal Ellipse series from 2002 to 2007.
[edit] Death
In 2005, Hondrogen was diagnosed with mesothelioma, cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. After struggling with cancer for 2 years, his career was cut short when he died in a hospice, a block away from his studio in Amherst, Massachusetts on February 28, 2007 at the age of 55. After his death, The Nicholas Hondrogen Trust was formed to continue to grow his reputation in the art world. Hondrogen was cremated and there is no grave.
[edit] List of major works
[edit] External links
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Hondrogen, Nicholas |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Hondrogen Jr., Nicholas John |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | American painter |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 5, 1952 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Amherst, Massachusetts |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 11, 1956 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Springs, New York |
