• Log in
    PoliticsBusinessA&ETransgenderBisexualityReligionFamiliesVoicesVideo
    OUTPrideOut TravelerPLUSADVOCATE CHANNEL
    SubscribeSubscriber ServicesEmail Newsletter Signup
    CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
    © 2023 Pride Publishing Inc.
    All Rights reserved
    Advocate.comAdvocate.com
    Scroll To Top

    By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.

    Accept

    Artist Carl Hopgood on His Golden Stag and Art's Importance Now

    Advocate Contributors
    | 10/08/20

    Artist Carl Hopgood on His Golden Stag and Art's Importance Now

    Photograph © David Arenas

    Carl Hopgood by David Arenas

    "I was born in Wales, of Greek, Welsh heritage. Educated at Goldsmith College in London. I am inspired by immortality and making the impossible seem possible. Taking one moment in time and making it last forever. The grit and glitz of life is what interests me. My work can be controversial and sometimes uncomfortable but always magical. I use many different mediums, such as neon, found objects, film, projection, sculpture, and painting."

    Throughout Hopgood's career he has appropriated and re-imagined pop and underground culture in a variety of ways. His work has been shown at galleries in New York, Sydney, Australia, Germany, Italy, and London. The illusionary nature of Hopgood's work plays with ideas of existence, appearance, and reality through the practical use of projection. He creates a liminal space for the viewer, one that exists in a state of transference from reality, to dream, and back again.

    See more on Carl's website and Instagram.

    See more about David Arenas on his website and Instagram.

    Photo courtesy of the artist.

    Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places

    "Looking For Love In All The Wrong Places", 2019
    Neon, metal box spring. Currently on display at The Maddox Gallery Los Angeles

    Photo © David Arenas

    Carl Hopgood by David Arenas

    The Advocate: Sorry to ask the usual question, but how is the pandemic treating you?
    Carl Hopgood: The day the lockdown began, was also the day my relationship ended. It was an uncertain new chapter that I would be facing alone with my 11 year old poodle named Pippa. The pandemic has had a devastating impact on artists and small businesses like mine. All the iconic gay bars; The Gold Coast, Rage, Flaming Saddles and Micky's have closed. Walking past the windows has been absolutely devastating. The empty chairs and bar stools were stacked up, like towers of loneliness. I was feeling very isolated and withdrawn during this period, since my family are in Cardiff, Wales, thousands and thousands of miles away. It was then that I decided to use my art as therapy and face the fear and isolation head on.

    Photo courtesy of the artist.

    My Heart is Open

    "'My Heart Is Open" was made during lockdown. All the restaurants and business were shut down where I live and all over the world. I would walk past places and see chairs stacked up in the windows. It was like a ghost town. There was so much illness, death, and economic collapse that the virus left in its wake. People took to the streets expressing their emotions as protestors were calling attention to social injustice and racism with the Black Lives Matter movement. Creating this piece was very cathartic for me. It literally kept me from having a meltdown. It was my therapy."

    Photo © David Arenas

    Carl Hopgood by David Arenas

    What about exposure? Are your galleries opening? How do you connect with collectors now?
    The Maddox gallery on Beverly Blvd in Los Angeles has two of my neon pieces currently on display, one of them called "Looking For Love in All The Wrong Places" is featured in the window. My work has had more people see it since lockdown because it is visible from the road. The bright neon lights glow from across the street, which has attracted a lot of attention during this very dark period. Most of my collectors find me on social media or through word of mouth. Instagram has acted as my virtual gallery with hundreds of visitors a day.

    Photo courtesy of the artist.

    The Golden Stag

    Sleeping Golden Stag, 2015
    Dimensions: Life size, gold leaf, stag horns, marble, plaster, single bed, and mattress
    Unique Piece

    "The Golden Stag sculptures are life size, the plaster and fiberglass versions are gold-leafed. They also come in bronze as miniatures which are half the size of the original. The sculptures with horns reflect the battle of a hedonistic past and a battle between love and lust, the conscious and the unconscious, and the mind and the heart."

    Photos courtesy of the artist.

    Golden Stag progress

    Documentation of the making of 'Reclining Golden Stag'
    Photos by James White

    Photo © David Arenas

    Carl Hopgood by David Arenas

    Who are the artists, of any kind, you go to for inspiration?
    I get my inspiration from the grit and glitz of everyday life.

    Photo courtesy of the artist.

    Red Stag


    "Ruby Red Stag Horn"
    Assemblage, resin 3ft x 3ft edition of 12

    Photo © David Arenas

    Carl Hopgood by David Arenas

    Driving around Los Angeles and seeing LACMA's buildings demolished is still a shock. It feels somehow connected to the pandemic, even though it is to make way for new structures. But a lot of galleries are closed and in peril of closing forever. How is that for you?
    The number of people who go to galleries in Los Angeles is much different than that in New York or London. Here, there typically isn't as much foot traffic, but during the pandemic, with all the storefronts boarded up or empty, the galleries have been a beacon of hope, creativity and optimism.

    The robe is vintage: Welch Margetson & Co contact - richard.welch@gmail.com

    Photo courtesy of the artist.

    'Trophy Blonde\u2019  2020


    'Trophy Blonde' 2020
    24k Gold Plate, bone, granite base, bronze support.
    Unique piece

    Photo © David Arenas

    Carl Hopgood by David Arenas

    How does your creative process work for the more ephemeral and conceptual pieces such as the "Empty Chair Polaroid", and "Excuse Me"?
    Time.

    With my practice, I take my time to let all my ideas flourish and grow naturally. Sometimes they lead somewhere and other times they don't. I allow myself to make as many mistakes as I need to make to get the work to where it needs to be.

    Photo © David Arenas

    Carl Hopgood by David Arenas

    Your stag pieces feel signature. How did those start? And how difficult were the full body cast pieces?
    My sculpture, "The Golden Sleeping Stag", came from the eternal struggle of the mind and the heart. The minataur, the fusion of man and animal. Being part Greek, I have always been inspired by Greek mythology and how man can be both carnal and human. How our heads can sometimes rule our hearts and vice versa. The Stag Horn Edition expresses the symbol of the stag horns as both as a weapon and an object of beauty. The horn assemblage became a symbol of these polar opposites: violence and beauty.

    Polaroid photo courtesy of the artist.

    Empty Chair

    Empty Chair Polaroid: Empty-chair technique originates in Gestalt therapy in which the client conducts an emotional dialogue with some aspect of himself, or herself, or some significant person who is imagined to be sitting in an empty chair during the session.

    Photo © David Arenas

    Carl Hopgood by David Arenas

    During all this -- The pandemic, the election, and the general vibe of a city struggling to not go crazy -- are you having any fun?During all this -- The pandemic, the election, and the general vibe of a city struggling to not go crazy -- are you having any fun?
    David Hockney is one my favourite artists. His paintings of naked men and swimming pools in Los Angeles inspired my move here. The city has made us rediscover the beauty of the outdoors. I learned that I can social distance, wear masks, and still enjoy nature. During lockdown, the freedom to be outdoors, at the beach and in the mountains was never really taken away. Nature continues to fuel my art.

    Photo courtesy of the artist.

    Excuse Me

    "Excuse Me" Chair installation photograph: 3 red waiting room chairs at the end of a corridor have a hidden speaker beneath the seat. We hear the sound of a man's voice every 30 seconds call out 'Excuse Me'. Growing up as a gay man in the '90s we were made to be fearful of fearful of AIDS and HIV. We were told it was a death sentence by government advertising. There was no PREP and limited treatment. We would wait in silence at the clinic for our HIV results in sheer terror waiting for our number to be called. This sense of fear is revisited again with the Covid Pandemic.

    "Excuse Me" when said politely in various contexts, for example when attempting to get someone's attention, asking someone to move so that one may pass, or interrupting or disagreeing with a speaker. I was also interested in the language of the words "Excuse Me". The 3 differences of meaning - Attention, Move, Disagree. When said in a different tone it can take on another meaning. The chairs help focus our attention. They are the audience but also become the spectacle. Installation View Central Saint Martins College MA show, London, September 1997

    Artwork courtesy of the artist

    Want Some Company?

    "Want Company?" (c) Copyright Carl Hopgood

    Color Inkjet Photograph edition of 50 and available to order from www.carlhopgood.com

    Carl Hopgood

    What's next? Please talk about where your creative mind is taking you from here.
    What's next is my 2021 solo exhibition, "Fragile World", featuring film, sculpture and video installations.

    I'm also developing a photography book entitled "My Heart Is Open" featuring 100 now empty locations across the country - the book takes its name from the sculpture "My Heart is Open" which is currently on display at the Maddox Gallery in Los Angeles.

    www.carlhopgood.com

    Instagram: @carlhopgood

    Twitter: @carlhopgood

    carlhopgood@mac.com

    Latest Stories

    15 Steamy Photos from the 'True Colors' Pride Series by Kuros
    Photography
    Badge
    gallery

    15 Steamy Photos from the 'True Colors' Pride Series by Kuros

    June 03 2023 10:00 PM
    Temptation Sunday
    Photography
    Badge
    gallery

    47 Photos of Temptation Sundays Summer Launch in Las Vegas

    June 03 2023 6:58 PM
    17 Photos of the Trans Experience by Mariette Pathy Allen
    Art
    Badge
    gallery

    17 Photos of the Trans Experience by Mariette Pathy Allen

    June 03 2023 3:35 PM
    ONE Archives
    Pride
    Badge
    gallery

    13 Vintage Photos of Los Angeles's Queer Pride from ONE Archives

    June 02 2023 5:05 PM
    Shows to watch in June
    Arts & Entertainment
    Badge
    gallery

    15 LGBTQ+ TV Shows and Movies to Watch in June

    June 02 2023 4:31 PM
    Christopher Briney and Gavin Casalegno
    television
    Badge
    gallery

    9 First-Look Photos of 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' Season 2

    June 01 2023 7:00 PM
    Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey’s Gay Romance 'Fellow Travelers' Gets Teaser
    television
    Badge
    gallery

    Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey’s Gay Romance 'Fellow Travelers' Gets Teaser

    June 01 2023 5:00 PM
    LGBTQ Pride Flags
    Pride
    Badge
    gallery

    36 Queer Pride Flags You Should Know

    June 01 2023 4:01 PM
    Ayo Edebiri, Sofia Coppola, and Julio Torres
    film
    Badge
    gallery

    NewFest Pride Reveals Lineup for its 3rd Annual Summer Film Series

    June 01 2023 2:30 PM
    Tan and Rob France
    People
    Badge
    gallery

    Queer Eye’s Tan France Welcomes Baby Number 2 With Husband Rob

    May 31 2023 2:00 PM
    60 Photos of Your Favorite Celebs Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth at GLSEN Respect Awards
    Activism
    Badge
    gallery

    60 Photos of Your Favorite Celebs Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth at GLSEN Respect Awards

    May 31 2023 10:05 AM
    Girls Like Girls, Stars Collide, and Leg book covers
    Books
    Badge
    gallery

    13 LGBTQ+ Books to Read and Enjoy Before Spring Is Over

    May 30 2023 11:00 AM
    Joe Locke and Kit Connor from Heartstopper
    television
    Badge
    gallery

    5 First Look Photos from 'Heartstopper' Season 2

    May 30 2023 8:00 AM
    Nico Tortorella, Janelle Monáe, and Brandon Urie
    Pansexual
    Badge
    gallery

    12 Pan Icons to Celebrate Pansexual Visibility Day

    May 24 2023 7:17 PM
    'Red, White, and Royal Blue,' the Gay R-Rated Rom-Com, Debuts Key Art
    film
    Badge
    gallery

    'Red, White, and Royal Blue,' the Gay R-Rated Rom-Com, Debuts Key Art

    May 24 2023 11:06 AM
    Jake Daniels
    People
    Badge
    gallery

    Gay Soccer Star Jake Daniels, 18, Shares About His Partner, 46

    May 22 2023 1:35 PM
    5 Victims of Club Q Shooting Remembered
    Crime
    Badge
    gallery

    5 Victims of Club Q Shooting Remembered

    May 19 2023 10:03 PM
    30+ Images Celebrating Out Magazine's Kim Petras Pride Cover Drop
    Slideshow
    Badge
    gallery

    30+ Images Celebrating Out Magazine's Kim Petras Pride Cover Drop

    May 19 2023 4:45 PM
    Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence
    Activism
    Badge
    gallery

    Meet the L.A. Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence

    May 19 2023 4:30 PM
    Honorees at the GLAAD Media Awards in NYC
    Media
    Badge
    gallery

    69 Photos Celebrating the Star-Studded GLAAD Media Awards in NYC

    May 18 2023 11:19 AM