Àìåðèêàíñêèé õóäîæíèê – Steve Hanks
Steve Hanks – ñîâðåìåííûé àìåðèêàíñêèé õóäîæíèê, ðàáîòàþùèé â òåõíèêå –
àêâàðåëü. Ñâîé ñòèëü ðèñîâàíèÿ Steve Hanks íàçûâàåò – ýìîöèîíàëüíûì
ðåàëèçìîì. "Èñêóññòâî èñõîäèò èç ãëóáîêîãî âíóòðåííåãî ÷óâñòâà
íàïðàâëåíèÿ. Îíî íà÷èíàåòñÿ ñ ïåðåîñìûñëåíèÿ ñâîåé ñîáñòâåííîé æèçíè, ñ
ïîèñêà èñòî÷íèêà åå èìïóëüñîâ è ïîïûòêè ðàçãàäàòü åå òàéíû. ß ñ÷èòàþ
ñåáÿ ýìîöèîíàëüíûì ðåàëèñòîì. Ýìîöèè – ýòî òî, ÷òî ÿ õî÷ó èçîáðàçèòü.
Ðåàëèçì – ïðîñòî ìîé ñïîñîá ýòî äåëàòü."
Êîãäà ìàëü÷èê óæå õîäèë â øêîëó, ñåìüÿ ïåðååõàëà â Íüþ-Ìåõèêî. Ïîñëå
øêîëû Ñòèâ ïîñòóïàåò â Õóäîæåñòâåííóþ Àêàäåìèþ â Ñàí Ôðàíöèñêî, êîòîðóþ
çàêàí÷èâàåò ñ îòëè÷èåì.  1976 ãîäó îí íà÷èíàåò ðàáîòàòü îôîðìèòåëåì â
Campfire Girl’s camp (Íüþ-Ìåõèêî).  òå÷åíèå íåñêîëüêèõ ëåò Õýíêñ
ýêñïåðèìåíòèðóåò ñ ðàçíûìè òåõíèêàìè: ïèøåò ìàñëîì è àêâàðåëüíûìè
êðàñêàìè, ðèñóåò â êàðàíäàøå, ðàáîòàåò ñ àêðèëîâûìè êðàñêàìè. Ïîñòåïåííî
ó íåãî âûðàáàòûâàåòñÿ ñâîé ñîáñòâåííûé ñòèëü, êîòîðûé õóäîæíèê íàçûâàåò
"ýìîöèîíàëüíûì ðåàëèçìîì". ×àùå âñåãî îí ïèøåò ëþäåé, è ýòî íå ïðîñòî
ïîðòðåòû, íî ñëîæíî âûñòðîåííûå êîìïîçèöèè, â êîòîðûõ äåòàëè èãðàþò
áîëüøóþ ðîëü.
Ãîâîðÿ,
íàïðèìåð, îá îñâåùåíèè, Õýíêñ ïîä÷åðêèâàåò: "Sunlight has become one of
my favorite subjects. I’m fascinated by how it filters through things,
how it floods a whole room with color. Often my paintings are really
more about sunlight than anything else".

Õýíêñ
ïîñòîÿííî âõîäèò â äåñÿòêó ëó÷øèõ àìåðèêàíñêèõ õóäîæíèêîâ (ïî
ðåçóëüòàòàì îïðîñîâ U.S. Art Magazine). "I’ve tried to be responsible
and put positive images out into the world. I hope that my work brings
comfort, pleasure and insight into people’s lives", — â ýòèõ ñëîâàõ,
íàâåðíîå, ñîäåðæèòñÿ ñàìàÿ òî÷íàÿ õàðàêòåðèñòèêà åãî òâîð÷åñòâà. Ìíîãèå
êðèòèêè ïðèçíàþò Ñòèâà Õýíêñà îäíèì èç ëó÷øèõ ñîâðåìåííûõ àêâàðåëèñòîâ.