Phuong Nguyen Exhibit at Centenary's Turner Art Gallery, Inspired by Mass Media, Set for Jan. 12 - Feb. 8

Rack-like structure houses paintings

SHREVEPORT,  LA -- On Jan. 12 from 5-7 p.m., Washington artist Phuong Nguyen will discuss his recent paintings inspired by mass media. Phuong Nguyen documents in paint the fleeting images of mass media, exploring the formal qualities that emerge when these images are arrested.  His exhibit will be on display at Centenary's Turner Art Gallery  through Feb. 8. 

In his ongoing TV series, Nguyen reveals the hidden beauty of the television signal, painting the surprising patterns created by interference. His paintings also acknowledge both audience and environment through the depiction of reflections found on the television screen. The physical structure of these paintings directly evokes the curvature of the screen itself. 

His new series of paintings, entitled "Catalog," also reflect his obsession with recording and cataloging ephemeral imagery. It consists of 30 paintings housed in a large rack-like structure that invites viewers to investigate by pulling out individual paintings using the attached handles. The images are of the debris fields created by airline accidents. The viewing method makes the onlookers aware of their act of spectatorship, which becomes much like "rubbernecking" on the highway.

Educated first at Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas and later at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Nguyen received his master of fine arts degree in painting in 1995. As an assistant professor, he has taught painting and drawing at Washington State University in Pullman since 1997. In addition to his individual work, he collaborates with artists Emily Blair and Michelle Illuminato.

The Turner Art Gallery is located at 3000 Centenary Boulevard.  It is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and 2 to 5 p.m. on Sundays. For further information, call 318-869-5261.

The exhibition is supported by a grant from the Louisiana State Arts Council, the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism and the Shreveport Regional Arts Council.

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