Deborah Colton Gallery

Paul Horn: Ancient Aliens

February 1 to March 8, 2014

Opening Reception: Saturday, February 1st, 2014, 6:00 to 9:00 pm

Deborah Colton Gallery is pleased to present Ancient Aliens, an exhibition of new artworks from artist Paul Horn. Ancient Aliens, as with all Paul Horn productions, is a commentary on the pulse of popular culture in the present. This exhibition opens on Saturday, February 1st with a public reception from 6:00 to 9:00 pm in conjunction with the Bert L. Long Jr. exhibition and fundraiser.

Paul Horn is an enthusiastic Houston based artist and curator best known for his collaged “pop ups” and assemblages works which incorporate comics, cartoon characters, action figures and other plastic toys and his outlandishly curated art exhibitions and events. His exhibits and events are known for their originality and high energy that always attract large crowds. He has curated several exhibitions, including Paul-Mart for Plastic Fantastic in 2011, Use Your Illusion in 2011, and the very successful Camp Lucky for Deborah Colton Gallery in 2004 that attracted over 1,200 people. This historical Houston evening which helped permanently change the art scene for the positive in the First Ward Artist Studio area.

Horn’s curatorial projects, exhibitions, and unique art events include wide varieties of media from installation to performance controlled by a contorted Pop environment. His curatorial debut at Deborah Colton Gallery, Camp Lucky, invited key artists like Scott Burns, Sharon Engelstein, Mark Flood, Jeremy Eilers, Bill Davenport, Francessca Fuchs, Rachel Hecker, Kyle Hendricks, Aimee Jones, Anthony Liberto, Theresa O’Connor, Aaron Parazette, Jenny Schlief and Jason Villegas, from galleries throughout the city and included interactive performances and collaborations with the Art Guys, I Love you Baby and others. Taking a pretty dead part of town before Deborah Colton Gallery opened it 6,500 square foot Gallery on the top floor the artist studio building of 2500 Summer Street a few months earlier, the impact this exhibition/happening had on the city gave a surge of energy to this district, causing Winter Street to be bought and restored shortly thereafter and the First Ward eventually becoming an Arts District for artist studios with Deborah Colton Gallery’s impact and continued support in the area through 2008. Paul Horn’s most recent curated collaborative Paul-Mart, which proclaimed “Stackin’ Em High, Sellin’ ‘Em Cheap,” paralleled and parodied the Wal-Mart concept, commenting on democratic retailing and discount volumes; all art offerings were priced at $99.99 or less at Deborah Colton Gallery’s Plastic Fantastic exhibition, curated by Catherine D. Anspon.

Horn carefully orchestrates exhibitions that contextualize artwork in non-traditional exhibition environments meant to enhance the viewing experience. Using venues from a Holiday Inn to an elevator carriage, he has not only made the art a focal point but questions the way we view the work as well. He continues to question the role of artist as curator and finds new and interesting ways to contextualize work by a range of established and upcoming artists.

Horn began his art career during his graduate studies at the University of Houston (1999-2001). He was represented by the Texas Gallery until moving to Deborah Colton Gallery and since then has collaborated on four previous exhibitions and performance art installations with the Deborah Colton Gallery. Previous shows were staged in Houston’s Quick Mart Convenience Store and at a Holiday Inn. He has also shown at the Contemporary Arts Museum of South Florida’s University and the Ulrich Museum of Art in Wichita, Kansas, the Dallas Art Fair, the Houston Art Fair among others. Horn’s work has been reviewed by Art in America and ArtForum and is in many prominent private and institutional collections.

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. The Gallery aspires to provide a forum through connecting Texas, national and international artists to make positive change.