Gallery on Main's "Artist of the Month" series continues with an exhibition of mixed-media work by Milford, New Jersey-based artist Dion Hitchings, on view August 1 through 31. Admission is free, and the artist’s works are available for purchase.

Join us for the opening reception on Saturday, August 6, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.

Says Hitchings of his Portraits on Recycled Trash series, “Within my artwork I have found my own ‘unique world’ which has no rules or boundaries. My inspirations are varied and vast, everything from dreams and Indians, nuns and demons, the Jerry Springer Show and chickens to sins and celebrities. My world, and therefore my art, is guaranteed to be colorful, self-revealing, emotional, childlike and an ‘eye full’ to all who view it.”

Hitchings creates sophisticated works with various children's art supplies including, crayons, magic markers, highlighters and colored pens. He explains, “Using consumer boxes, discarded furniture and ‘trash’ instead of traditional drawing surfaces has enabled me to break down pre-existing print, images, and textures while allowing the type and pictures from the recycled object to become organically part of the portrait.”

He continues, “During the creative process, I discovered the need to deconstruct then reconstruct the face to fit within the shape of the surface. The results are portraits that have a shattered appearance, with broken and missing pieces, but also form a more powerful, interesting and often disturbing viewpoint.”