Declivity, 2012

Charles Hinman’s art expanded on the shaped canvas in the 1960s. He freed his works from the physical confines of the traditional canvas by extending beyond the wall in a merger of sculpture and painting.

Hinman’s series developed from more organic forms in his earliest work, through a more geometric style, and on to complex leaf-like pieces in the 1980s. The influence of Russian Suprematism is notable. The most recent selections focus on light and color in a more minimalist style.

In the early 1960s, Charles Hinman lived and worked in Lower Manhattan, forming a small artists’ community with several other promising young artists. This group was not part of a cohesive movement, but sought to separate their work from the Abstract Expressionism of the era.

His “Eclipse” series (2010) of shaped paintings features color concealed behind black and white canvases. Many critics consider the “Gem” series (2010 to 2011), using complex triangular shapes, to be among his most interesting work.

Hinman describes his work as “dynamic... occupying a six-dimensional space”. The focus is on the viewer’s perception, altering the appearance of volume depending on perspective.