Originally from Colorado and currently based in Brooklyn, Caleb Hahne is now rising in the public eye following his first solo exhibition at 1969 Gallery in New York in 2021. Looking to his upbringing as a Mexican American in the American West, Hahne’s works function as snapshots of his life. Often featuring figures engaging in rural activities such as riding horses, reclining in grass fields, and floating in water, Hahne explores notions of vulnerability, memory, and boyhood.
Depicting close-cropped or wide-angled views of anonymous, solitary subjects enjoying moments of quiet intimacy, Hahne’s works stimulate a sense of hazy recollections through the artist’s keen compositional choices and striking use of color. Not interested in objective truth, Hahne channels his own subjectivity through his painterly hand. Regarding his practice, Hahne has remarked, “Mocking life while imitating figures in a relatable, distant, and monumental state is what haunts me, and I love it."i
Showcasing Hahne’s reputable style, Autumn, 2020, portrays a gloved hand pulling on another glove, while the corresponding hand itself is nowhere to be found. Using a warm palette and deceptive shadows, he depicts the peculiarities of movement and gesture while confounding reason. Smooth gradients of bold color and soft edges enhance the effect of a recollected or reminisced image. Through his compelling and illusory approach, Hahne examines the relationship between memory, reality, and perception, transforming the mundane to surreal.