Merry Go Round/Cruelly Go Round

Merry Go Round/Cruelly Go Round
Artist Hung Viet Nguyen

9/2/11

Cruelly Go Round




Cruelly-Go-Round

Among the beautiful colors and forms of nature, there are violent scenes associated with survival. Life seems to be intertwined with death, and while they seem to contradict each other, it is a necessary balance that is maintained in nature. I observe and describe these cruel scenes with a desire to live and love all things around me as naturally as I can. As a visual artist, I have seen and felt the world through my forms and colors, and I only wish to express the utmost truth. My artwork has his/her own life, independent and mature. I can not fix ideas, I do not desire it. It is up to the viewer to create their unique meaning. Perhaps, the viewer can become a philosopher, through my artwork.

Hung Viet Nguyen

*Cruelly-Go-Round is a new painting series, started in year 2011. Medium is oil paint and gold leaf on wood.



CGR # 25, oil, gold leaf, crackles glaze on wood, 18 x 24 in.



CGR # 27, oil, gold leaf, crackles glaze on wood, 12 x 16 in.



CGR # 26, oil, gold leaf, crackles glaze on wood, 12 x 16 in.



CGR # 12, oil & gold leaf on wood, 12 x 9 in.



CGR # 9, oil & gold leaf on wood, 10 x 8 in.



CGR # 8, oil & gold leaf on wood, 12 x 9 in.



CGR # 7, oil & gold leaf on wood, 9 x 12 in.



CGR # 6, oil & gold leaf on wood, 8 x 10 in.



Merry/Cruelly Go Round # 1A, oil/linen, 36 x 48 in.


Merry/Cruelly Go Round # 1B, oil/linen, 36 x 48 in.

Merry/Cruelly Go Round # 1C, oil/linen, 36 x 48 in.

Merry/Cruelly Go Round # 1D, oil/linen, 36 x 48 in.



CGR # 22, diptych, oil & gold leaf 23K on wood, 20 x 32 in.


CGR # 3, oil & gold leaf 23K on wood, 24 x 18 in.

CGR # 21, diptych, oil & gold leaf 23K on wood, 20 x 32 in.

CGR # 23, diptych, oil & gold leaf 23K on wood, 20 x 32 in.

CGR # 19, oil & gold leaf 23K on wood, 16 x 20 in.


CGR # 20, oil & gold leaf 23K on wood, 16 x 20 in.


CGR # 5, oil & gold leaf 23K on wood, 18 x 24 in.


CGR # 2, oil & gold leaf 23K on wood, 18 x 24 in.


CGR # 4, oil & gold leaf 23K on wood, 24 x 18 in.





CGR # 10, oil & gold leaf 23K on wood, 8 x 10 in.

CGR # 11, oil & gold leaf 23K on wood, 9 x 12 in.






CGR # 13, oil & gold leaf 23K on wood, 8 x 10 in.


CGR # 15, oil & gold leaf 23K on wood, 12 x 16 in.




CGR # 17, oil & gold leaf 23K on wood, 24 x 18 in.


CGR # 18, oil & gold leaf 23K on wood, 18 x 24 in.


Coastal Sensation

Coastal Sensibility / Sensuality

The salty scent of waves crashing, birds floating on invisible currents, colors gleaming in the bright Southern California sun, these are my inspirations. These occurrences are observed and felt during hikes along the coast, and then processed into semi-abstract expressions. My work is a visual expression of the senses rather than a literary representation of a landmark. These paintings do not represent the memory of a particular place, but they are meant evoke sensual memories of moments past, whether on the land or by the ocean. This is accomplished with a complex process of layering oil paint. The body of the painting appears when I begin to put in the texture. Adding paint as well as scraping away, the textures build, and the colors are revealed. This time consuming process takes weeks to accomplish. Consequently, I work on several at one time, with them all finishing seemingly, at once. Once the textures are dry, I paint and glaze each area to obtain the final color I envisioned. I am always working with an almost impossible desire to match what I feel to what I can accomplish in paint. One can see the influence of many traditional art forms: woodblock print, Oriental scroll painting, ceramic art, mosaic, stained glass…this is because I want to recycle all the tradition arts (by theory), then create innovative new art, separate from the masses. One can see the influence of David Hockney, Chuck Close, Richard Diebenkorn, Picasso, Joan Miro, Gustav Klimt, Vincent Van Gogh… in my work, because it is natural process for an artist to develop his/her own style, as long as in the end, my paintings look like none of theirs. One can can see the influence of my degree in biology but my work is far from biological. I am in my own way, an artist.


Coastal Sensation/Simply Perfect
Creating during 1 week artist in residency
Sponsors by Patron (Tequila) & LAAA (Gallery 825)
at 7024 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, CA
From November 22nd-28th, 2011
Coastal Sensation for Simply Perfect
Acrylic & oil on canvas
48 x 60 in.



Mountain Mindscape # 6, oil/canvas, 48 x 30 in.



Mountain Mindscape # 5, oil/canvas, 28 x 22 in.


Mountain Mindscape # 4, oil/canvas, 22 x 28 in.


Coastal Sensation # 16, oil/linen, 24 x 30 in.


Coastal Sensation # 43, oil/canvas, 22 x 28 in.


Coastal Sensation # 31, oil/linen, 30 x 24 in.


Coastal Sensation # 10, oil/linen, 36 x 48 in.


Coastal Sensation # 38, oil/canvas, 28 x 22 in.


Coastal Sensation # 9, oil/canvas, 48 x 60 in.


Coastal Sensation # 27, oil/canvas, 60 x 48 in.


Coastal Sensation # 28, oil/linen, 60 x 48 in.


Coastal Sensation # 34, oil/canvas, 48 x 60 in.


Coastal Sensation # 44, oil/canvas, 60 x 48 in.


Coastal Sensation # 44, oil/canvas, 60 x 84 in.