JAY BOLOTIN American, born 1949 Hopper and Bernice, 1982 Cast resin with acrylic, 57¾ x 50 11/16 x 8¼" University of Kentucky Art Museum. Gift of Judy Humble. 1994.12

Known for his work as both a visual and performing artist, Kentucky native Jay Bolotin has combined his twin pursuits in art and music in highly original theatrical productions, such as The Hidden Boy, whose American premiere was in New York City’s City Center Theater, and the forthcoming Limbus: A Mechanical Opera, which will incorporate human actors and the artist’s giant mechanical sculptures. In his print portfolios, Bolotin draws inspiration from literary sources, such as William Blake’s work which has a close affinity to Bolotin’s own complex and ambiguous narratives. Bernice and Hopper are two of Bolotin’s stock characters who, in sculptures and reliefs, act out various roles and personal dramas. According to the artist, Hopper’s name means ‘to hop,’ as in to move or to change, and that the masks worn by his figures are indicative of the mutability of ‘truth.’

The University of Kentucky Art Museum also preserves an earlier version of Bolotin’s Hopper and Bernice (1996.9) and his woodcut series A Mortal Pilgramage (1983.17)