In this monumental painting, an undulating pattern of black and white figures surges against the surface of the canvas within a densely-packed landscape imbued with a visceral, almost overwhelming intensity....
In this monumental painting, an undulating pattern of black and white figures surges against the surface of the canvas within a densely-packed landscape imbued with a visceral, almost overwhelming intensity. Beyond the bodies of these creatures known as Bringbacks, a rich wash of red alludes to a depth that invites the viewer into the painting. This work is heavily layered in Hancock’s signature style, incorporating drawing, collaged paper, bottle caps, fur, and paint. Upon closer examination, the painting's sculptural elements and daubs of heavy impasto emerge from the landscape to reveal a sea of watchful, bloodshot eyeballs that confronts the viewer, piercing the boundary between two and three dimensions.
Bringbacks are mouthless, fur-striped humanoids that serve as minions for a Mound named Junior. Their primary function is nostalgia: they "bring back" things from our youth in order to transform us. For Hancock, the Bringbacks allow him to revisit the toys that populated his childhood and parse their influence on his visual language and the physical construction of the Moundverse. They become a vehicle for reflecting on how our past adolescence—and our memories of that past adolescence—shapes our present.