Chris Austin: In A Silent Way

Chris Austin paints surreal landscapes where marine life exists hovering above ground. These formerly sea dwelling animals, no longer relegated to the ocean, float freely through a new and unknown world filled with man-made infrastructure. Whether cautiously exploring on their own, or interacting peacefully with a mysterious raincoat clad child, the creatures appear to move silently and without resistance through their surroundings. About the new exhibition, the artist states, "I wanted to focus on the perceived silent serenity of marine life movement underwater, and introducing the same serenity in our everyday lives and environment.....I feel as if we are constantly surrounded by chaos and anxiety and that there is something to learn from our friends in the ocean."

Austin's expert handling of light adds a familiarity to otherwise extraordinary scenes. The warm glow of neon on a New York City street as seen in Block, or a hazy sunset on the beach immediately transport the viewer to these locations. While surreal in nature theses beautifully rendered scenes seem like all too real moments frozen in time. Acting as a stand-in for the viewer, the child in the yellow raincoat acknowledges the seemingly impossible that is happening in their midst. They temporarily remove themself from the chaos in their real life and embrace possibility.

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