Labyrinth Books, 122 Nassau St. Princeton, will be screening Art:21  - Stories: C. Atlas, K. Walker, K. Smith, Do-Ho Suh, T. Doyle Hancock, narrated by filmmaker John Waters, on Nov. 19, 7 p.m.  This episode is on stories and art.

The artists profiled tell tales — autobiographical, fictional, satirical, or fantastical — through architecture, literature, mythology, fairytales, and history. These artist provoke us to think about our own stories, the characters and caricatures, the morals and messages that define our real and imagined lives.

Trenton Doyle Hancock (whose work is pictured above)  was born in 1974 in Oklahoma City, OK, raised in Paris, Texas, and earned a BFA from Texas A&M University and an MFA from the Tyler School of Art at Temple University.

Hancock’s prints, drawings, and collaged felt paintings work together to tell the story of the Mounds-a group of mythical creatures that are the tragic protagonists of the artist’s unfolding narrative. Each new work by Hancock is a contribution to the saga of the Mounds, portraying the birth, life, death, afterlife, and even dream states of these half-animal, half-plant creatures.

Influenced by the history of painting, especially Abstract Expressionism, Hancock transforms traditionally formal decisions-such as the use of color, language, and pattern-into opportunities to create new characters, develop sub-plots, and convey symbolic meaning. Hancock’s paintings often rework Biblical stories that the artist learned as a child from his family and local church community.

Balancing moral dilemmas with wit and a musical sense of language and color, Hancock’s works create a painterly space of psychological dimension. Trenton Doyle Hancock was featured in the 2000 and 2002 Whitney Biennial exhibitions, becoming one of the youngest artist in history to participate in this prestigious survey.