(Leuven, Belgium, 1974)
Patrick Hamilton studied art at the Universidad de Chile. His work is characterized by a political interest that promotes the return of the social burden that abstractionism and conceptual art had at their time. With clear references to the 20th-century avant-gardes, the artist develops critiques in which the economy of visual language allows him to be incisive and forceful with his ideas.
The works belonging to his series Abrasive Paintings, for instance, are made with black, red, yellow or white-colored sandpaper, with which the artist makes geometric patterns, almost always rectangular, alluding to bricks. A design that first appears innocuous hides an aggressive materiality, in a way that contrasts the “coldness” and simplicity of rational design with a strong emotional base. More widely, Hamilton seeks to make connections between these sorts of clashes and the contexts of the countries to which he holds personal links, be that Spain or Chile, referring to their social problems and their historical roots.
Thus, through distinct media, from painting to urban interventions, Hamilton centers his reflections on the analysis of social and political tensions.
He currently lives and works between Madrid, Spain, and Santiago, Chile.