What is it they say about the game of chess that applies so fittingly to life itself: “At the end of the game, the king and the pawn go back in the same box.” If you enjoy art that contains contradictions and engaging tensions—like playful and provocative, silly and serious, recognizable and surprising, everyday and spectacle, high and low, handmade and manufactured, micro and macro, personal and universal, human and divine—then Danny Houk’s “Pawns” exhibition is perfect for you. Opening the Western Illinois University Annex Gallery this fall semester, the St. Louis area artist will have his thought-provoking pieces on display starting this Tuesday, with a reception that evening from 4:30 to 6 p.m., and the artist speaking at 5 p.m.
Born in 1981, Houk grew up in Northern California, where his awareness of opposition began. Using art to express that fact, he graduated from UC Davis in 2007 and then relocated to Southern Illinois, where he completed his MFA this year at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. A graphic designer for over 15 years, Houk hopes visitors will see this experience as an opportunity to connect with universal ideas and understand how they apply to their everyday lives.
“Pawns” will remain on display until Friday, October 3. The Annex Gallery (located across the street from the University Art Gallery on the bottom floor of the Heating Plant) is open from 9 a.m. to noon and again from 1 to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Admission is free and open to the public.
