False Hearts

False Hearts, 1980, oil on canvas, 74 1/2 x 56 inches.

My close friend Ron Hoover passed away early this morning. An artist that never shied away from matters that was important to him. Ron never followed the mainstream and thus his work was not widely exhibited. His art came directly from his personal experiences, alternative newspapers and public radio. Ron revealed the untold truths behind little known allegations of crime, corruption, and social injustice. I first met Ron in 1995 when Sally Sprout took me to his studio to pickup a painting that I had purchased. Ron was not an easy person to get to know. He was very opinionated, would get in your face, and challenge you to prove him wrong. This came out in his work and one reason his work was so strong. I visited Ron almost every year and sometimes 2 or 3 times a year. In 2002 I started working on an exhibition of Ron’s oil pastels of which he had been creating since 1995. The Arlington Museum agreed to the exhibition of which I am so grateful. Ron was at the opening which was a big success. The following day Ron spoke on Arlington Public Television and I suppose those who watched the program have not forgotten. I last visited Ron in August of this year where he shared with me the numerous watercolors he had been working on. He had completed a new drawing entitled “US” and I am so sorry I did not take a photo.

Ron, 1979