HRH P. R.
HRH P.R. was born in Dillon, SC in 1981. He lives and works in Saginow, MI
The artist’s work consists of a number of ongoing series that deal with society’s obsession with sensationalism. Throughout his work, the artist argues that sensation poisons empathy and that it makes humankind numb and void of critical thought.
Like with the use of his tag (an acronym of his name), the artist’s works have acronyms for titles. He explains that acronyms predate the Christian era. They became more prevalent in the 20th century and have since become more commonly used trough text messaging on mobile phones. Like with a pictogram, they are intended to be recognized immediately, but according to the artist, their increased use is becoming a tool of separation, leaving a great number of people in the dark. HRH P.R. extends this thought to the way art is viewed. We are far removed from Matisse's statement: the first thing a painter should do is tear out his tongue. Necessarily or unnecessarily, visual art is often accompanied by explanations, something the artist illustrates by using an acronym for a title. This automatically triggers the need for explanation. What does not need explanation is how HRH P.R. strives for truth and justice with a body of work that aims to foster communication with the viewer. The registering of images is manifested as a dateless act, while the iconography provides a different, deeper, more fully experienced relation to the object, that tells of loss, destruction, disappearance and controversy. The beauty of it all lies in the fact that, ultimately, the viewer is drawn into what could be described as, a complex poem.
