Houser's exhibit runs Nov. 8-Dec. 30, 2018 in the John Steffl Gallery at the Duluth Art Institute, 506 West Michigan Street, Duluth. An opening reception and artist talk will be held, Thurs., Nov. 8, from 6-9 pm.
At the core of Houser’s thinking, he ponders reality. What does it mean to be here; coagulated matter, with the ability to question our very existence? How is the objective reality we experience created and maintained? To what amount and degree must we consider the inherent subjectivity of reality?
Symbolic themes of mysticism and philosophy develop within this work with an interesting relationship between ‘super-reality’ characters from comic books and figures from religious tales.
By deconstructing the original narrative of these images and segments of text, the veracity ascribed to them is dissolved. This allows for a personal re-investigation into what we perceive to be ‘truth’; illumination of the rhetoric constructing ideals within our mind. Houser strives to create disorienting visuals with esoteric content. These surreal images display the subconscious mind and ask the metaphysical question: ‘what is real?’
Image: Darren Houser, Real-Unreal, 11" x 14", digital pigment print, screenprint, lithography
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