Jackson Free Press

Clay Hardwick doesn't name his canvas creations. Instead, each piece carries the year, a season and a sequential number: "2012-fall-08," for example.

"Each piece is an evolution," he says, building from previous work.

That lack of defining his art for viewers is inherent in Hardwick's paintings. His art is abstract, organic and often expands into the structural. Some of his pieces consist of numerous three-dimensional layers where the unrestrained flow and spread of wet paint on paper determine the amorphous shapes. Those works, especially, can evoke glowing, cavernous geodes, the soft rolling hills of mountain ranges or the land's river-worn contours.

But even his flat canvases are fluid. Undefined edges, seemingly random sprays and arbitrary brushwork are occasionally interrupted with stark black ink and unexpected reality—a sheep or a Native American headdress. The art invites interpretation and leaves afterimages of natural forms and strong colors.

"One thing I'm interested in is a lot of dichotomy," Hardwick says. "One dichotomy is the super abstract thing that happens when you mix things that shouldn't be mixed—for instance, aerosol and water, oil and water ... to see the actual line work that is created. ... I look at a lot of nature-made things that may look abstract to us and bring in the design aspect."

The discipline of painting, finding the space between abstract chaos and control, is the latest, but not the primary, focus of Hardwick's output. In fact, painting is far down on the list of his creative endeavors. "I really couldn't care less if any attention comes to my paintings," he says.

Hardwick's primary endeavor is videography, and he includes documentaries, commercials and music videos in his portfolio. A half-dozen awards, including three Crossroads Film Festival awards, a Mississippi Addy, a couple of Telly awards from New York, and a regional Emmy nomination, demonstrate his expertise behind the camera.

"I'm the kind of person who knows a little bit about a lot of things, versus someone who knows a whole lot about one specific thing," Hardwick says in his low-key manner.

He enjoys working in and collaborating with the multiple disciplines involved in making a video, including directing, set design and lighting, and pulling the puzzle pieces together through editing, though he mostly shoots and edits. "I like the whole aspect of it," he says, and he frequently incorporates the many colors and abstract qualities of his artwork. He points to the music video "Lanthanum" with Loki Antiphony (aka Tre Pepper, who did the music for the piece) as an example, with its dreamlike and illusory images. "I would like to think that my visual painting is reflected in my video work," Hardwick says.

At 27, Hardwick is also quietly passionate about creating a multi-disciplinary arts space and nurturing fellow artists at TurnUp Studios in Jackson's midtown arts community. There, Hardwick's company, echomech Creative, shares space with visual and performance artist daniel johnson, and guitar and mandolin player Jamie Weems.

They all fit into TurnUp's collaborative philosophy. Hardwick and johnson have worked together off and on since 2008, and both have grown as artists from the partnership, despite different visions.

Johnson prefers to direct and define the viewer's experience—"engaging a conversation on a topic, or engaging action around solutions," he says—while Hardwick's approach is inner-driven and personal. "You don't have to bring anything to it," Hardwick says. "Enjoy it—or don't."

Video is the medium where the two visions converge. "The TurnUp Sessions" is Hardwick's and johnson's studio project, featuring Mississippi musicians. These short film gems are as multilayered as Hardwick's visual art and as thought-provoking as johnson's defined approach. Each session provides intimate, in-depth explorations of the musicians and their music.

The first features Hattiesburg folk duo Oh, Jeremiah, and the second highlights Jackson rockers Spacewolf. A third film, with rapper Pyinfamous, is in production, reflecting a diverse, multi-genre approach. For the Oh, Jeremiah session, Hardwick was producer, director and editor, while johnson added creative direction. A trio of other local talents—Robby Piantanida, Tre Pepper and Kristen Lucas—also have credits on the piece.

"It's a merging," Hardwick says of the project, which he's currently financing. He will be finding sponsorships to expand the series and take it to a wider audience once he completes a few more sessions. "(It's) a unique look at who we think are important or emerging bands in Mississippi."

TurnUp also hosts occasional live performances of local and touring musicians. "I'm trying to make this place into more of a creative incubator," Hardwick says.

"That's what's next, I guess."

TurnUp Studios is located at 155 Wesley Ave. Visit turnupstudios.com for more information.