Wesley Kimler: Hunter/ Prey, 1985
broad brushstrokes depicting human figure facing viewer
Wesley Kimler
Hunter/ Prey, 1985
Oil on canvas, 85 ½ x 75 inches
2004.18.1

ABOUT THE ART

With obvious large brushstrokes, jarring color, and brooding subjects, Wesley Kimler’s Hunter/Prey, from 1985, establishes a direct emotional connection between the artist and the artwork. The ominous figure in this painting evokes feelings of unease, which are only amplified by this work’s title.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Raised in Montana, Wesley Kimler dropped out of school and ran away at the age of fifteen. After traveling as an international carpet trader, he settled in Chicago, where he established his home and studio. After attending the Minneapolis College of Art and Design for two years, he became known for colossal, aggressive paintings—and had a personality to match. Kimler asserts that the subject of a painting is secondary to how it is painted, and he describes his practice as a “sum of destructions.”