Review: Tyler Bright Hilton

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Tyler Bright Hilton, "Later, she was lost. Of course she was lost. Why wouldn't she be lost? The woods were horrible. Group of Seven my ass." 2018

etching with aquatint (edition of 15), 20" x 27"

Using traditional techniques reminiscent of Goya and Durer, Toronto-based artist Tyler Bright Hilton explores identity through the adventures and exploits of his alter-ego female protagonist in the second instalment of an episodic three-part fable, Minmei Madelynne Pryor on the Trail of a Liar.

Hilton’s labour-intensive work, which he began a decade ago, draws on anime, graphic novels and video game imagery, as well as Old Master influences, culminating in an idiosyncratic merging of classical and contemporary formats. His dark yet illuminating tale about the human condition unfolds at Calgary’s VivianeArt until Oct. 20 via surreal etchings, silverpoint drawings and watercolours .

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Tyler Bright Hilton, "Minmei Madelynne Pryor on the Trail of a Liar.” 2008-2018

series of 22 (edition of 20), installation view

In graphic novels, the dual formalisms of literary and graphic expression articulate a cohesive system that’s wide-ranging and immersive. Like Hilton’s work, they synthesize the language of cinema, the sensibilities of contemporary literature and the appeal of mass media, calling attention to psychological angst and social conditions. Dramatic shifts in scale, perspective and point of view really have their precedent in film, not visual illustration. But Hilton’s work is a unique elaboration on the graphic novel.

It’s easy to get swept up in the meticulous beauty of his craft, but the images and themes are also sensual, witty and, at times, shocking. Hilton’s lines are expressive, his text explosive. The darks are exquisitely deep and rich. The intaglio etching process is a fitting metaphor for the dramatic, rigorous and unapologetic terrain he embraces. The technique exerts enormous pressure on the paper, pushing it into the fine lines and deep recesses in the metal plates that hold the ink. It lends itself to the expression of psychological tension.

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Tyler Bright Hilton, "Leave the Revolution to the Revolutionaries,” no date

brush and reed pen on paper, 12" x 10"

As with film noire or Gothic illustration, each of Hilton’s pictures is a captivating adventure that can stand alone as a singular image but also participate in a complex narrative. His protagonist, Minmei, is an unusual character who grapples with anxiety, insecurity and self-identity. The cast also includes characters such as Minmei’s doppelgänger, the bitch; the good witch from the American fantasy film, Willow; and River Phoenix, the boy you want but can’t have. Essentially, the characters allow Hilton to explore how we struggle with self-identify while grappling with our relationships to others.

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Tyler Bright Hilton, "Minmei Madelynne Pryor on the Trail of a Liar" (detail), 2008-2018

intaglio and letterpress (series of 22, edition of 20), 20" x 27"

What I particularly enjoy is that Hilton doesn’t stray from his identity as an artist and, in fact, seems to relish how that position resonates in the narrative. For instance, Minmei gives birth to a doppelgänger, who goes on to have sex with her boyfriend, River. Minmei then finds herself lost in a forest, and exclaims: “The woods were horrible. Group of Seven my ass.”

It’s a wonderful play on the anxiety of being an artist that also contemplates the real-life terrain of navigating one’s self in the world. ■

Minmei Madelynne Pryor on the Trail of a Liar is on view at the VivianeArt Gallery in Calgary from Sept. 14 to Oct. 20, 2018.