DARK REALISM / DARK SURREALISM

Dark Realism / Dark Surrealism, curated by Chet Zar and Greg Escalante explores the work of contemporary “Dark Arts” across multiple disciplines. Dark Art is no longer synonymous with horror, black magic, or propaganda. Rather, it now includes mystery, spirituality, and a revealing of what is hidden whether it is our fears and anxiety or a hidden truth. With our world changing at lightning speed, Dark Art acts as catharsis and creates a safe space in which we can confront our deepest fears and every corner of our subconscious.

Dark Realism will be on view in the basement gallery, featuring a showcase of works by interdisciplinary artist Myron Conan Dyal. Diagnosed with epilepsy as a child, each piece is an interpretation and record of a vision that has occurred – an interpretation of the reality that he is confronted with through each vision. It has only been in the last decade that Dyal has gone public with his works, creating larger-than-life surreal sculptures, paintings, and large scale installations that bring us into his world.

In the main gallery, Dark Surrealism brings together works by Sarah Elise Abramson, Samuel Araya, Tom Bagshaw, Ryan Brown, Nathan Cartwright, Kristina Drake, William Hand, F. Scott Hess, Karen Hsiao, Stephanie Inagaki, Jed Leiknes, Elizabeth McGrath, Lee Shamel, Brian Smith, Stanislav, David Stoupakis, Jon Swihart, Christopher Ulrich, David Van Gough, Jasmine Worth, Lauren YS, Chet Zar, and Peter Zokosky in an exploratory exhibition of dark surrealistic images from each artist's’ imagination. Each artist has a distinctly different aesthetic while simultaneously creating works that exist within the Dark Art paradigm, finding comfort in the darkness.