Grayson Chandler

Telos: After Thought

July 25 to September 12, 2020

Deborah Colton Gallery is pleased to present a fresh body of work on paper by Houston artist, Grayson Chandler. The exhibition is from July 25 to September 12, 2020. The exhibition can be seen in advance through our Virtual Slide Show. Once the exhibition opens, the works can be viewed “By Appointment” at the gallery or through our Viewing Room and Installation Images on our website.

Telos: After Thought materializes a burgeoning philosophy taking root in Grayson’s studio practice. Telos, from the Greek τέλος, translates to “end,” “object,” “purpose,” signifying finality to be the ultimate pursuit of any action. While purpose is concerned with acquisition — a solution for measuring up to preeminent judgment — the alternative is a suspension of judgment in the interest of furthering observation. Ontologically speaking, these sensibilities are diametrically opposed, but where these temperaments collide is a space that invites opportunity to explore. Possibility prevails where purpose is not a means to an end.

Born in Houston, Texas, Grayson Chandler graduated with a BFA in Studio at the University of North Texas, Denton, Texas and has had numerous exhibitions since then. Chandler’s first solo exhibition at Deborah Colton Gallery in 2017 captivated the viewers and was a “sell-out” show. Chandler’s second solo exhibition, Cocoon, at Deborah Colton Gallery in May 2019 attracted much attention, with many major collectors acquiring his works. Grayson Chandler has been selected for the major exhibition, AKIN, which highlights five artists from Texas and five from The State of Qatar. This exhibition is tentatively scheduled to open in Doha, Qatar in October – November 2020 and will then be exhibited at Deborah Colton Gallery January – February 2021. Details will be confirmed this summer.

Fascinated by the intrinsic order and beauty of nature, Grayson’s work attempts to capture and abstract it’s character in a manner that is recognizable, yet unfamiliar. Deeply curious about the forces that govern human reason and faith, his work probes the amphibious network linking logic, intuition, consciousness, and emotion. Through this perspective, we are encouraged to draw upon our own experience and sensation as a means of illuminating the border between real and imaginary—exposing their dichotomy—to explore our desire to identify with imagery that resembles things we already know, and draw from that tendency as an aperture to view something empirically new.

Deborah Colton Gallery is founded on being an innovative showcase for ongoing presentation and promotion of strong historical and visionary contemporary artists world-wide, whose diverse practices include painting, works on paper, sculpture, video, photography, performance, conceptual future media and public space installations.