Phantom Landscapes is a two-person exhibition curated by Rene Melchor and featuring works by artists Guy Nelson and Brian Hubble.

In the works of Guy Nelson, nature is a familiar environment that continually follows him through his paintings, sculptures, and videos. Raised in the American Midwest, the Minnesota landscape is a consistent theme that finds its way into his artistic imagination. An avid tree lover, Nelson finds appreciation in exploring the Minnesota forest environment and narrates his paintings with a series of folk tales much like a writer. Encountering strange phenomena from phantoms to a Sasquatch-like creature, his work depicts the wildness that dwells in the mind of men. The viewer can see these paintings lack human presence with the exception of a mysterious being lurking in the lush green and pink forest. Here, Nelson raises questions about how our brain distorts cognition, reality, seeing, and believing. “This work examines danger and discovery with an exploration of forest landscapes, phantoms, and encounters in the wild. I ponder outdoor settings and respond to the experiences and phenomena that confront and disrupt cognition,” he explains. The primary material utilized to create his sculptures in wood, blended with synthetic elements to create an enigmatic fusion of textures and distorted shapes that look ambiguous. In these sculptures, there is harm created by mixing synthetic materials that not only camouflage nature, but also raise questions on contemporary issues including waste recycling, destruction of the environment, and the death of monstrous patriarchy.

Detached from the realm of objective reasoning and science, Brian Hubble tempts the viewer with the unknown in his unparalleled exhibitions. Contrary to his relation with famous cosmologist and astronomer, Edwin Hubble, a degree of suspicion and mistrust are integral to inform his ideas and motives. A benign conspiracist, Brian carefully reconsiders the languages, rituals, and theater that make up a system. Goal posts are divided as facts are repositioned and key articles are removed. Occasionally stoking the inner flames of hysteria and heartburn, the audience is held hostage inadvertently constructing false narratives for his dubious characters that leave a perpetual impression.

About the Artist:

Guy Nelson was born in Fargo, ND. He earned his MFA with a concentration in Integrated Practices from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY in 2016. Nelson has had solo exhibitions at Transmitter Gallery, Brooklyn, NY, and the SPRING/BREAK Art Show 2018 in New York City. His work has also been shown at Field Projects, New York, NY, Metropolitan Structures, Brooklyn, NY, Peninsula Art Space, Brooklyn, NY, 1708 Gallery, Richmond, VA, Parallel Art Space, Queens, NY, UICA, Grand Rapids, MI and SooVac, Minneapolis, MN. In 2015, Nelson co-curated “Aquarium” with David Packer for the SPRING/BREAK Art Show in New York City. Currently, he lives and works in Minnesota.

For more information about the artist, visit his website and follow him on Instagram.

Brian Hubble lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. Recent exhibitions include Gracie Mansion, Lévy Gorvy, and I Trusted You: Andy Kaufman on the Edge of Performance at The Museum of the Moving Image. Hubble received his BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University, and his MFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he was the recipient of the William Merchant R. French Fellowship.

For more information about the artist, visit his website  and follow him on Instagram.