The Newman University Steckline Gallery will present “AHHD Art” by artist John Hicks as the first show of its 2013-2014 season. The exhibit of paintings, which begins with a Final Friday reception from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 30, will be on display through Sept. 20. Both the reception and admission to the gallery are free and open to the public.
An “Art for Lunch” presentation by Hicks will be held Tuesday, Sept. 3 from noon to 1 p.m. in the gallery. A light lunch will be served on a first-come, first-served basis. Guests can also bring their lunch. This event is also free and reservations are not required.
AHHD (pronounced odd) is the name taken by John Hicks, who was born in Southern California in 1975. Following forays into music as a child, a brief career as a DJ, and some work modeling and acting, he started making a mark in the art world in late 2005. His art is based on his desire to create unique visual stimulation by taking the viewer on a journey of unusual imagery and structures that resemble things seen only in his own mind.
AHHD has recently created “webs of reality,” an ongoing series that distorts recognizable imagery through a quantum particle thought process. AHHD loosely labels his work a mix of Abstraction, Surrealism, and Graffiti.
AHHD said that everyone is influenced every day by a variety of things, such as commercials, movies, people, and other stimuli. These influences are significant to our growth and can have a positive, negative, or even indifferent effect on us. Each encounter is unique, he said; yet a commonality exists as we all interpret things.
“This exhibit of visuals is intended to be both interpretive and narrative living in coexistence,” AHHD said. “As you move through this portrayal of perception, take into account your personal view as an individual, as part of a group of individuals and/or a depth deifier, whilst fitting yourself into each theoretic equation. Where do you stand? Do you agree/disagree? What is it about the visuals that move you or push you away? Then ask yourself, what is my influence on the world? What is my contribution to the coexistence of intellectual beings? And lastly, am I the rabbit or the headlights?”
The Steckline Gallery is located inside the De Mattias Fine Arts Center on the Newman campus, 3100 McCormick. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., or by appointment. For more information, call 316-942-4291, ext. 2199.
