Ron Hicks: THE BOOK OF PARENTHESES to Open at Gallery 1261

Gallery 1261 will present The Book of Parentheses, a solo exhibition of oil paintings by Ron Hicks, on view October 16–31, 2026. An opening reception takes place Friday, October 16, from 6 to 8 PM, with the artist in attendance. The exhibition grows from Hicks's attempt to enter the creative process without deciding in advance where a painting will go or what it should say.

'I don't believe a painting needs to begin with an answer,' Hicks writes in his statement. He describes a process in which looking, responding, changing direction, and uncertainty are all necessary. A painting's meaning is not established before the work begins, nor does the artist's interpretation determine what the viewer should find there.

The title gives this approach a form. Hicks thinks of the body of work as a book without a defined beginning, middle, or end. Its parentheses are chapters: separate spaces that belong to something larger but need not explain one another, follow a sequence, or arrive at a conclusion. Each painting remains open to an encounter on its own terms.

'The paintings are not meant to lead the viewer toward my interpretation of them,' Hicks writes. 'I would rather leave that space open.' His statement places the viewer alongside the artist in the making of meaning. The book is unfinished by design, with its chapters available for each person to discover.

That openness can be encountered in the surfaces of the paintings. In Hope and Faith, two figures share a pale ground interrupted by broad orange passages. Their softly modeled faces sit among looser marks, allowing the image to hold observed detail and gestural paint together. And Yet offers a more direct gaze; Shelter draws attention toward a lowered face and a posture folded inward. These are points of entry rather than clues to a single intended story.

Hicks combines abstraction and realism in paintings concerned with human connection and emotional resonance. He works intuitively, without preliminary sketches, and uses nuanced gray tones to establish atmosphere. Born in Columbus, Ohio in 1965, he studied at Columbus College of Art and Design before completing his studies at Colorado Institute of Art. He currently lives in Denver.

EXHIBITION DETAILS

The Book of Parentheses by Ron Hicks

• Dates: October 16–31, 2026
• Online Collector Preview: Sent to the gallery email list Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at 10 AM MDT
• Opening Reception: Friday, October 16, 2026, 6–8 PM. The artist will be in attendance.
• Location: Gallery 1261, 1261 Delaware St, Denver, CO 80204
• Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 12 to 4 PM, and by appointment
• Website: Exhibition details and preview signup at gallery1261.com