 M.S. Rau‘s new exhibition The Witty World of Patrick Hughes will grace the 622 Royal Street gallery in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, April 1 – May 30, 2023.
There will be an opening reception on Friday, March 31st from 5:30-7:30 pm (Private Preview for Press on Friday, March 31, 2023), where the London-based artist who invented “reverspective” (or reverse perspective) will be sharing the creative process behind his 3D works. The exhibition, which is free and open to the public, will also be accessible online at msrau.com.
It’s not just you: the painting is moving! The exhibit will introduce 16 works that offer witty optical illusions, a motif that has made Hughes, now 83 years old, a leading figure in contemporary art.
“We are truly excited to unveil this exhibit and are thrilled that Patrick Hughes is traveling from London to join us for the opening,” said curator Rebecca Rau. “His work has revolutionized contemporary art and continues to challenge viewers. These paintings erase any previous conceptions of paintings as two-dimensional artworks. We have no doubt that the show will amuse, baffle, and enthrall viewers.”
M.S. Rau’s new exhibition will feature many paintings including Her Eyes on the Horizon (2021), Catalogues (2021) and Florentine (2022). In each of these, Hughes captures familiar and beloved spaces with an awe-inspiring and surreal perspective.
So how do the paintings work? These sculpted paintings deceive the mind into believing the impossible, that a static painting can move of its own accord. By placing a neat coherent structure on a recessing three-dimensional plane, Hughes’ paintings compel viewers to create their own illusions.
Hughes revealed that he is thrilled to visit New Orleans for the first time— a fifty-year dream. According to the artist, the historic city has been an alluring mystery ever since he first heard the recordings of Louis Armstrong, and he said he is eager to experience the city’s magic first-hand. “I feel sure that New Orleans will be a fresh inspiration to me in its architecture, design and unique way of life.”
Hughes’ paintings have earned international acclaim as part of exhibitions in the United Kingdom, Russia, Korea, the United States, and Canada. His works are also included in the world’s most prestigious museums, such as the Guggenheim Museum in New York, Tate Britain in London and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
M.S. Rau’s gallery is open Monday to Saturday, 9:00 AM to 5:15 PM. For updated information about this exhibition, visit rauantiques.com/hughes.  For further information, high-res images, attend the show and/or to set up an interview with Rebecca Rau or Patrick Hughes, please contact Sydney Masters at 212-987-6804/sydney@rcourihaycpr.com.
About M.S. Rau
Founded in 1912, M.S. Rau stands as one of North America’s most respected fine art, antiques and jewelry galleries. Led by third- and fourth-generation owners, Bill and Rebecca Rau, this family-run business operates globally, discovering items around the world and placing them in international collections, both public and private alike. The 40,000-square-foot gallery at 622 Royal Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana features carefully selected works from a diverse array of artists and makers who have defined the fine and decorative arts over the centuries. These include Claude Monet, John Singer Sargent, Rembrandt van Rijn, Tiffany & Co., Paul Revere, Thomas Chippendale, Louis Comfort Tiffany, René Lalique and many others. Over the last decade, M.S. Rau has also produced museum-quality exhibitions annually, both in its New Orleans gallery and at a selection of prestigious art and antique fairs around the country. www.msrau.com
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About Patrick Hughes
Patrick Hughes was born in Birmingham, England in October 1939. His first exhibition was in 1961 and his first reverspective, Sticking-out Room, was made in 1964. Hughes’ original painted reliefs are concerned with optical and visual illusions, the science of perception and the nature of artistic representation. He has written and collated three books on the visual and verbal rhetoric of the paradox and oxymoron. He has made a hundred editions of screenprints and is making his way towards a hundred editions of multiples. www.patrickhughes.co.uk
