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Sean Cairns: Handler


Valley House Gallery & Sculpture Garden

Sean Cairns' first solo exhibition "Handler" is on view at Valley House Gallery from July 24 through August 21. About the paintings in this exhibition, Sean Cairns states:

"I didn’t grow up with art, but I was always aware of Grant Wood’s painting American Gothic. This depiction of American life reminds me of my rural Southern Illinois upbringing. I find myself caught between two types of traditions—that of my roots and that of oil painting. My paintings are a way to reconcile my rural youth with my urban life working at the Dallas Museum of Art and how they intertwine to create a personal narrative. Compositional barriers such as fences and paper cutouts are intended to make the viewer feel like an outsider—shut out from the real narrative. I feel a similar sense of being shut out when I see the blank expressions in Grant Wood’s painting. Rural America is like a house with its shades drawn. I know there are things behind the shades, beyond the fences; sometimes it’s a snake, but snakes can mean all kinds of things, can’t they?"

Sean Cairns (American, Born 1988) earned his BFA from Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design in 2011, and his MFA from Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 2014. Despite two art degrees, his education in painting is self-directed. Sean Cairns has lived in Dallas since 2014 and will move to London soon.

Preview the exhibition on the Valley House website at https://www.valleyhouse.com/thumbnails.asp?mode=page&idx=255

Preview the exhibition on Artsy at https://www.artsy.net/show/valley-house-gallery-and-sculpture-garden-sean-cairns-handler

Watch a video of Sean Cairns speaking about his painting "Attic" at https://youtu.be/YvwHzwG46lI

The Opening Reception for the exhibition is Saturday, July 24, 5-8 p.m., see https://fb.me/e/14q5kBl1G

Sean Cairns will give an Artist Talk on Saturday, July 31, at 11 a.m. Reservations are required. Call 972-239-2441 or email [email protected] to reserve your place. See https://fb.me/e/1z7UBOSpF

"Sean Cairns: Handler" will be on view at Valley House Gallery from July 24 through August 21, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Masks required in the gallery.

Image: Sean Cairns, "Snake Farm," 2020, oil on canvas, 48 x 48 inches


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6616 Spring Valley Road · Dallas, TX 75254


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