In memory of Larry Hill, an artist who captured energy and action in images and words
By Donald Munro
Larry Hill, Bonnie Hearn Hill and Jenny Toste at Hill’s final show at Fresno Pacific University.
I once described Larry Hill as “hard to pigeonhole.” Man, was that an understatement. The more I learned about him, the more I realized the number of hats he wore: Artist. Fiction writer. Memoirist. Lover of the arts.
Not to mention Fresno State graduate, Korean War veteran, schoolteacher, owner of a Fresno art gallery, artist and chef. (With his son, Darren, Hill opened two Fresno restaurants: Hill’s Fire and D.J. Hill’s.)
William Larimore (Larry) Hill died Aug. 1 at the age of 92.
His final art exhibition was held in November at Fresno Pacific University. Titled “Larry Hill: A Piece of The Action,” it offered his distinct brand of abstract expressionism.
It was an apt title. Mr. Hill’s oil paintings were known for vivid colors and intense brush work. They were the opposite of static; they pulsed with drama and energy. The description of the Fresno Pacific show noted: “For Hill, a painting must have an initial dramatic impact and at second glance should include tantalizing nuances of drawing and gestures to stay alive. His rich and textured abstract pieces expertly adhere to this ethos and are both dramatic and captivating.”
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More than 50 years prior to the Fresno Pacific show, in 1961, Mr. Hill established Art Trio, an innovative commercial art studio in downtown Fresno. His name recognition reached far beyond the Central Valley. His paintings were displayed and sold at the Sidney Janis Gallery in New York alongside work by Jackson Pollock, Franz Kline, and Willem de Kooning.
I remember in particular a 2014 show of his at the now closed 1821 Gallery & Studios. It corresponded to the publication of his second book, “Rose Capital of the World,” which focused on what Hill called “the Forgotten California.” His first short-story collection, published in 2008, was titled “Saroyan’s Bookie.”
His short story “Cocido” won the Bellevue Literary Review’s Goldenberg Prize for fiction. Judge Gail Godwin called it “…such an American story for these times.”
Fun fact: At a Fresno show, the great William Saroyan left him a note describing his work as “heroic.” His wife, Bonnie Hearn Hill, writes in his obituary: “That word describes Larry; he was fearless in art and in life.”
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Jackie Ryle
Thank you for this beautiful tribute to a truly amazing man. I learn something new each time I read or hear about Larry’s life. What an amazing legacy he leaves.
Armen Bacon
The arts are our highest form of hope. Thank you for this beautiful tribute to a multi-talented human, a man worth celebrating and cherishing.
Frank Arnold
Larry was a great man and artist.
I always admire him and his life !
Jodi Fitzpatrick
He time spanned the best of Fresno, and he was the best of Fresno. The layered dynamism of his paintings symbolized the man. Will be much missed.
Judy Peterson
As Larry’s cousin, I have always been amazed and proud of Larry’s work. There was always something passionate and energizing when viewing his huge paintings. God speed, Larry.
Judy Hill Peterson