Nature’s Imagination: How Christian Hook Makes Love Visible

Anembrace leaves a warm handprint on an arm, only visible through thermal imaging. As a couple dances, a neuroscience and AI professor observes their brain waves sync up. These are a few of the hidden markers of love that artist Christian Hook set out to capture in a group of works called “Painting the Invisible.” Hook has long been fascinated with the ephemeral and cosmic wonders of our existence, including our experiences and perceptions of time, space, embodiment and emotional connection. Hook’s latest series is the culmination of his consultations and collaborations with scientists, as well as a person with synesthesia. The works aim to capture the intangible aspects of interpersonal relating and love, and they integrate input from multiple fields and modes of inquiry, including theoretical physics, the study of tears, thermal imaging and brain monitoring. This creative journey is documented in a <a href="https://www.sky.com/watch/title/programme/3ecdd7d0-7a37-48dc-84c8-058e939355df/christian-hook-painting-the-invisible-3ecdd7d0-7a37-48dc-84c8-058e939355df" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">film</a> now available on Sky Arts — the movie is also coming to Netflix. Hook is well established in the realm of fine portraiture, having painted the Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson, Sir Ian McKellen, Amir Khan, Kirsten Scott Thomas and many others. His portrayal of Alan Cumming is in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, and, in 2014, Sky Arts named Hook Portrait Artist of the Year. This Gibraltarian creator is also a practicing musician and film writer, and is soon launching a blockchain-based art marketplace called The New Medici’s. He took some time out from his multifaceted imaginative endeavors to share his thoughts on art making, and his future hopes. More featured works (the first selection is from “Painting the Invisible,” and the second group below contains some of Hook’s previous works): <a href="https://askartists.medium.com/natures-imagination-how-christian-hook-makes-love-visible-75344a4163d8">Read More</a>