The Belo Collection; Heritage Auctions, Dallas, October 18, 2014, lot 76077; Private collection, Austin.

Billy Hassell (American, b. 1956) Divination, 1991 Oil on canvas 76 x 90 inches (193.0 x 228.6 cm) Signed, dated, and titled on the reverse: DIVINATION / © B. HASSELL / 1991 PROVENANCE: The Belo Collection; Heritage Auctions, Dallas, October 18, 2014, lot 76077; Private collection, Austin. Billy Hassell, a Texas native born in 1956, is an influential artist whose career spans several decades and reflects a deep connection to his home state. Raised in Dallas, Hassell's early fascination with nature grew into a lifelong commitment to capturing and preserving the environment through art. After completing his undergraduate studies at the University of Notre Dame, he earned an MFA from the University of Massachusetts, where he developed the distinct style that defines his work today. Now based in Fort Worth, Hassell has become a prominent figure in Texas art, with his pieces held in major collections across the country. His dedication to environmental themes and his role in the Texas art community underscore his enduring impact as an artist and conservation advocate. We are very proud to be offering Divination, 1991 and that the artist has written the statement below to accompany it: "Generally, and historically speaking, divination is the art or act of foretelling future events or revealing occult knowledge by means of augury or an alleged supernatural agency. Dowsing is a type of divination employed in attempts to locate ground water, buried metals, gemstones, oil and other earthly treasures without the use of any scientific apparatus. It is also known as divining. A Y-shaped twig or rod, or two L-shaped ones, called divining or dowsing rods are normally used, and the motion of these are said to reveal the location of the target. Although the practice is generally regarded as ‘pseudoscience' it was frequently employed, historically, to locate spots to dig wells for water and to locate drilling sites in the early exploration of oil. I chose the title DIVINATION for this painting to suggest a symbolic search for water as a symbol of the source and wellspring of Life. The painting features the shapes of three coyotes and a jackrabbit. The coyotes (tricksters) represent the tricky complexities of physical connection and the jackrabbit represents fertility. The two coyotes at the upper right and left of the painting face in opposite directions and are separated by a chasm; the one at the bottom of the painting, while ‘bleeding' water (represented by the blue stream at its side) is supporting the ‘weight of the world' in the form of an abstract shape containing depictions of three common ways of using divining rods. This also represents the hope of redemption and the hope of finding water. The painting was completed in 1991 when my two children were 6 and 3 years of age, respectively. Without a doubt they had something to do with the genesis of this large painting. -Billy Hassell HID12401132022 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved www.HA.com/TexasAuctioneerLicenseNotice

Condition report available upon request.