Show Will Present The ‘Other World’ of Suburbs at Night

Van Auken on the upcoming show:

“As an artist, I see my job as being very much like a scientist’s, except that I deal with the subjective. I try to understand certain elements of my human experience.

Recently, I’ve been focusing on subjects outside of the controlled environment of my studio. I’ve been especially interested in the area I live in, an older suburb, as I see it on walks that I take at night. It is a place that most people would consider mundane, and not at all picturesque.

The places where we spend most of our time tend to be the places we actually look at the least.

I work from direct observation and memory. I do not use photographs because they tend to offer the temptation of a simple objective solution that may not relate to my experience.

By the same token, I do not see the darkness outside at night as “nothing”, or a limitation. A person has to rely on their imagination in the dark.”

The Eric Schindler Gallery (2305 East Broad Street) opening reception will take place February 11th, 7 to 9pm.

The show runs until March 11th.