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Subliminal Projects is pleased to present ISO BALL, a collection of new works by Philadelphia-based artist Jim Houser. Made in a three-year period from 2019 to 2022, this series of work focuses on an associative theme of interconnectedness, presented in paintings, collage, sculpture, and displayed in Houser’s distinct site-specific installation method.
“I’ve known Jim Houser since the mid-90’s when he worked with me in Providence primarily cutting stickers by hand. At the time, his unique drawings began to evolve into complex compositions of characters and typography within a mosaic of color blocks. This approach to his work has only evolved to become more sophisticated and beautiful over the years. Jim’s pieces straddle several aesthetic zones harmoniously, allowing them to be playful, mesmerizing, and profound all at once. Because Jim’s pieces work as entire compositions, with so many compelling elements at different scales, they must be seen in person.”
– Shepard Fairey
Jim Houser is a self-taught artist, musician, designer, and original member of the renowned artist collective Space1026 in Philadelphia. He is celebrated for his iconic patchwork paintings, color theory, stylized figures, and for challenging the definition of object versus painting. For ISO BALL, Houser further develops his unique visual language through an emphasis on execution and concept.
“I have been increasingly focused on the way in which I approach art-making, and examining my practice. For me, art-making, music, skateboarding all involve these similar repetitive routines which allow for some form of meditation to occur. Much of the work in this show is an examination of how intertwined these three things have become for me.”
– Jim Houser
Centered with focus on application and practice, Houser presents a complex body of unique pieces all interconnected by meditations on shapes, repurposing, and the inescapable weight of our current socio-political climate.
ABOUT JIM HOUSER
Jim Houser was born in 1973 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the city where he currently resides. Houserʼs collages, paintings, and installations have been exhibited extensively in institutions such as the Laguna Art Museum and the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Art as well as galleries in Milan, Paris, Sydney and São Paulo. His work is included in the permanent collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Houser layers acrylic on wood, fabric and found objects, blurring the lines between collage and sculpture. when viewed as a whole, it becomes clear that all of his works are associative and directly related. This deceptively dimensional quality is further highlighted when the pieces are assembled into one of the artist’s elaborate installations, adding to the complexity of each individual piece by emphasizing a greater inter-connectivity to the body of work as a whole.
For more information visit jimhouser.com, and follow him on Instagram @misterhouser.
