Cities

Mark Horton

June 10 - July 15, 2017

Cities

Opening Reception: Saturday, June 10, 2-5 p.m.

This exhibition reflects Mark Horton’s continued interest in using the urban landscape as a point of departure for his paintings. His current work depicts perspectives of cities that hover between representational and imagined. Vibrant color and rhythmic patterning evokes the tempo of city life. Many of Horton’s urban landscapes transcend their subject and are transformed into multi-layered abstractions.

Horton explains: Most of my paintings begin with a thumbnail sketch from my imagination. Some sketches are based on a place I have visited. Then, I play fast and loose with the facts. This enables me to go to the canvas with some knowledge of what I am after without restrictions. I find the less I am tied to my references, the more willing I am to dive in and let the idea develop on canvas.

Horton, a Minnesota native who now lives in St. Louis, Missouri, took an unusual path to becoming an artist. Disenchanted with his law career, Horton began studying art at the University of Minnesota in the 1970s. By the early 80’s, his desire to make art overwhelmed his interest in law and he quit his legal practice to paint full time. Over the past thirty-five years, his work has been exhibited at galleries across the Midwest and is part of numerous collections.

The artist will be present at the opening reception Saturday, June 10thfrom 2-5 pm. The opening reception and exhibition runs concurrently with New Paintings & Prints by Larry Welo. Both shows continue through July 15, 2017.