Art League Houston Press Release
Art League Houston Announces
 The Wood
"The Buffalo Hunters"
an exhibition of works by
Eric Michael Jones
November 2 - December 21, 2007
 
For Immediate Release
Contact: Debbie McNulty
713-523-9530 or alh@artleaguehouston.org
 
Art League Houston is pleased to announce the opening of "The Buffalo Hunters", with new digital photography by Eric Michael Jones, November 2 - December 21, 2007.  The opening reception of The Buffalo Hunters is Friday, November 2, 6-8 p.m., beginning with a talk by the artist.
 
Eric Michael Jones' digital photographs are inspired by stories - both fairytales and contemporary fiction, such as the work of the Brothers Grimm and Raymond Carter, among others.  Some influences in his work are clearly recognizable, while others are not, with the stories used simply as launching points for image making.  As in fairy tales, a reoccurring sub-theme runs through the work - an ominously foreboding landscape (the horrible woods, the threatening sea), a place where children go willingly or otherwise, to work out their greatest fears and anxieties.   The idea of ambiguity is also an important component in Jones' work: character roles are enigmatic; opposites are juxtaposed (beauty and repulsiveness, innocence and worldliness, compassion and cruelty); and extreme physical trauma is presented as a strength born with grace. 
 
The figures in Eric Michael Jones' digital works are compiled from numerous sources.  A single body may have been assembled from six to ten different images.  In some cases, the original subjects might be personally staged and photographed, but more often than not are appropriated from popular imagery, such as an arm from a magazine or a hand from a video still.  These parts are then scanned and combined to create a seamless figure in the desired position, with the end result a fictional tableau presented as fact.
 
Eric Michael Jones grew up in Rosenberg, Texas and moved to Houston in 1996, after graduating with a BFA from the University of Texas in 1995.  After undergraduate school, he received his Teacher Certification in Fine Art from the University of Houston and St. Thomas University (2001) followed with an MFA in Painting from the University of Houston (2006).  As a first year graduate student, Eric began to find the act of painting a bit too predictable.  "I would get halfway through a piece, and know exactly what the end result was going to be."  He then began collaging onto the canvas a single figurative element cut from a magazine, such as a toe, a hand, or an ear, and from there would paint his figures.  In 2003, University of Houston visiting artist Christian Eckart, a well know sculptor who would later teach at UH, suggested to Eric that he scan his imagery into a computer.  It was this suggestion that led Jones to abandon painting as a media, and to refocus his creative energy on the path he follows today.  To read more about Eric and to see additional examples of his work, visit www.ericmjones.com
 

About Art League Houston

Art League Houston is one of Houston's longest operating non-profit visual arts organizations and was the first alternative art space in Texas.  Founded in 1948 and incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1953, Art League Houston (ALH) was created to promote the public appreciation of and interest in the visual arts.  During the past 57 years, ALH has provided over 760 exhibitions to the Houston community, showcased the work of nearly 22,200 artists, and instructed over 35,000 students through the ARt League School and Outreach Program. 

 

Our Mission

The mission of Art League Houston is to cultivate awareness, appreciation, and accessibility of contemporary visual art within the community for its cultural enrichment.  Art League Houston provides an opportunity for all members of the community to experience the contemporary visual arts.  We achieve our mission through exhibitions, education and outreach programs.

 

Art League Houston programming is made possible through the estate of William G. Daugherty, The Houston Endowment, Inc., City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance, Joan Hohlt & J. Roger Wich, Kevin & Laurie Foxx, John P. McGovern Foundation, Bridgeway Charitable Trust, Nora & Bob Ackerley, Andrisin Abbey, Art Colony Association/ Bayou City Art Festivals, The American-Scandinavian Foundation, Aubrey and Sylvia Farb Community Service Fund, Susan & Jack Apple,  Drew Baird, Becker Family Foundation, the Ann Bengtson Memorial Fund, Norman & Kelly Bering, Blumenthal Sheet Metal, Brad & Leslie Bucher, Marv & Billie Chasen, CITI Smith Barney, Moriah & Rod Crosby, Darrell & Peggy Delahoussaye, Earth Exchange Corporation, Tom Edens, Ray C. Fish Foundation, Hugh & Berthica Fitzsimons, Kat Gallagher & Michael Rudelson, Gallery M Squared Inc., Alice C. Boyd Gano, Courtney Glasscock, Nick & Candice Goodwin, Rob Greenstein, James & Ann Harithas, Harris County Department of Education, International Bank of Commerce, Inversion Coffee House, Kinder Foundation, Leanna Laster, Mangini/ Lakhia/ Dealahoussaye & Associates, P.A., Kenneth & Elena Marks, Mark & Gretchen Mazziotti, McCoy Workplace Solutions, Betty Moody & Bill Steffy, National MS Society Lone Star Chapter, Mark Nitcholas, Don & Crystal Owens, Donald & Mary Ellen Podoloff, Allan & Peggy Port, River Oaks Dental Arts, Royal Norwegian Consulate General, RWG Construction Management, Louisa Stude Sarofim, Judy Sauer, Fred & Wendy Schiller, Tahamia Spain, Steve & Susie Streller, Texas Art Supply, Texas Commission on the Arts, Top Drawer Lingerie, Kathryn Sherman Ttee, Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., Jim & Beth Wiggins, The Woodlands Development Company, our sponsors, members and volunteers.

Art League Houston  1953 Montrose Boulevard  Houston  Texas 77006

713-523-9530  alh@artleaguehouston.org  www.artleaguehouston.org