January 4 - February 1, 2025
Please Join Us:
Artist’s Reception: Gallery Night, January 17th, 5-8 pm
Since the late 1970s, T.L. Solien has been linked with the Neo-Expressionism and Neo-Surrealism movements, constantly evolving as a figural painter. Known for his "absurdist cultural critique," Solien uses vivid colors and evocative imagery to bring his unique vision to life. His work draws deeply from Scandinavian heritage, personal experiences, and the legacy of art history, creating powerful narratives that explore themes of human vulnerability and cultural decay. Through his paintings, Solien invites viewers to confront the complexities of the human condition and reflect on the state of contemporary culture.
"Vessels on Vessels / The Specious Landscape" explores the intersections of human mortality, existential uncertainty, and the complexities of the human condition. Through the concept of vessels—representing both functional objects and the aging body, as well as nautical and funereal transports—the work examines themes of distortion, dysfunction, and transformation. Landscapes are reimagined as unsettling, deceptive spaces that reflect ecological instability and socio-political chaos, creating an allegory for the fragility and uncertainty of contemporary existence.
Born in Fargo, North Dakota in 1949, Solien earned a BFA from Moorhead State University, Moorhead Minnesota, and an MFA in Painting and Sculpture from the University of Nebraska. He is the recipient of many honors and awards including the Whitney Biennial Exhibition and the Joan Mitchell Foundation Fellowship in painting. Solien’s work has been the subject of numerous exhibitions across the country and is included in public and private collections around the world.
Selected collections include: Metropolitan Museum of Art, Whitney Museum of American Art; Smithsonian American Art Museum; Art Institute of Chicago; Milwaukee Art Museum; Madison Museum of Contemporary Art; Minneapolis Institute of Art; Tate Gallery, London; National Gallery of Australia; Singapore Art Museum, among others.
