JASON HOUGE STUDIOS DISPATCH #0007 | 24/01/30

Hello!
I'm writing to invite you to join me for my MFA Qualifier exhibition at the University of Wisconsin - Madison Art Lofts!
What: Noctilucent Black
Where:
111 North Frances St
Madison, WI 53703
[Beside the Kohl Center]
Days: Feb 12-17
Hours: Open Daily 9am-5pm
Reception: Feb 12 6:30-9:30pm. 

I am pleased to announce my MFA qualifier exhibition: Noctilucent Black
These 13 desert twilights come out of my research expedition last summer across the American Southwest and Colorado River watershed. This exhibition is 1 week only: Feb 12-17. A video walkthrough will be uploaded for folks unable to make the trek out to Wisconsin. Send me a note and I'll send you a link once it's uploaded. Visit https://jasonhouge.art post-show to view the images and documentation.

An update brief:
I am now at the 1/2 way mark of my Master of Fine Arts degree at UW-Madison. This solo exhibition has been a challenge to produce and a lot of fun too! With it I am blending my photography and sculpture practices into one and constructing an installation experience for the viewer to respond and react to rather than just pinning framed prints to a wall. This concept is what has differentiated my work through the entire duration of my studies. It may come as a surprise to some, but I have never really exhibited work prior to graduate school, all of this is new and exciting for me. 

Over the past several months I've made some life changes for better mental health and to support a better future. Last fall I removed myself from nearly all social media. I have always been an early adopter of new tech and new social platforms, so don't start thinking I'm becoming a Luddite. At this time, however, I believe the current social media landscape no longer supports social interaction or promotion for the arts but has instead become a kind of social experiment in targeted content production, advertising and over consumption. Something I do not wish to subject myself to. Speaking of consumption - I've also stopped drinking and have cut my nearly infamous caffeine consumption back considerably as well.  

School is now going well. It has been difficult for this old guy to break through the egos and personality clashes to find my own rhythm and pathway. Always the person who can never just do as the others do, I am forging my own path through to find what I set out to seek. Photography will always be my home base, but I am now branching out into woodworking and business. I am currently working toward a graduate certificate in business entrepreneurship from the UW. My plan is to develop my idea of building a supportive arts community to offer proper education on professional practice, targeted web hosting for artists and photographers, and continue my white-glove digital printing and art documentation services as well. 

Bonus Exhibition Announcement!
Feb 26 - March 8
University of Wisconsin - Madison
School of Ed Gallery
1000 Bascom Mall, Madison, WI 53706

I don't know what to call it just yet, I'm working on it.
This will be an excerpt of traditionally framed black and white images from my pandemic story "In the Air Tonight". There will not be a reception for this show.

HOLD THE PHONE!
What about all the other work from the expedition?
I did say Noctilucent Black is only 13 images. 
Well to be fair, this work is dense and I am still coming to terms with that. The work I produced last summer explores the intersectional problems faced by the Colorado Watershed region as the river depletes. And this could get real boring, real quick. Or worse, it could cause overwhelming existential dread and apathy toward the issues. 

But this shall not be the case! More time is needed to work with the photographs and perhaps another follow-up expedition is needed to dig just a little deeper, but maybe not. Last summer I made upwards of 10k images, and if you know my working style, I only stop to take a few images and move on. Rarely do I dwell on single situations. 

The work I do have focuses on the landscape, less so on the humans but It still explores the relationships humans have with this landscape. 
It's also a little lighthearted, quirky and weird.
Here are a few of my favs: