This month, the Gallery Annex features the work of three artists in a group show titled Hollow Dusk. The artists use the space to juxtapose their distinct mediums and styles, including Andrew Perry Davis’ anthropomorphic ceramic animal sculptures, Erin Hüber’s intricate cut paper designs, and Adam Starr’s nature-centric photography and photo manipulation.

Andrew Perry Davis, *Harlequin Cat*, earthenware with glaze, underglaze & stain

Andrew Perry Davis’ work explores a theme familiar to his oeuvre: forgotten stuffed toys once doled out as the pinnacle of carnival prizes. For the ceramic artist, the more faded, worn, and misshapen the reference toy, the better the character study. Davis specifically attempts to “capture a feeling that pushes [the work] beyond the toy or doll reference.” As is evident when viewing works like Harlequin Cat, Davis finds inspiration by studying how artifacts and antique toys are assembled – and how their surfaces erode over time. Davis breathes new life and meaning into their forms by documenting worn ephemera in clay and glazes.

Erin Huber, *We Must Have Hope*, cut paper

Erin Hüber often explores narratives in her work. Inspired by history, family, and folk art, she creates detailed cut paper designs and paintings. In Hollow Dusk, Hüber presents a body of work created during the 2020 lockdown. Like many, the artist felt forced to reevaluate her priorities in the early days of the pandemic. Surviving became her main goal as a single mother. She encountered many challenging firsts: becoming a teacher for her young children, not seeing or touching loved ones, and grocery stores running out of the things she needed to sustain her family. In a time of great sorrow and doubt, Hüber turned to daily artmaking as a reprieve.

Each work in this series is meant to be digested like a journal entry. The included dates symbolize Hüber’s long wait for better news. In the absence of words, she created these works in a hopeful bid to shift the tide of her personal life. Hüber writes, “This body of work truly expresses my personal craving for beauty in a troubled world. I can only assume that I am not the only one.”

Adam Starr, *The Earth is Burning*, manipulated photograph

Like Hüber, Adam Starr captures emotion and beauty through unique creative expression. Starr is an Indianapolis-based photographer and painter. Many of his works start with images taken during his travels that he then digitally alters. Starr likens this process to painting a canvas - each image can take hours to days to complete. In Hollow Dusk, he presents a series of manipulated landscape photographs. The Earth is Burning exemplifies Starr’s penchant for the surrealist – the image portrays a semi-arid landscape bathed in warm tones. Taken with the title, the work reads as somewhat dystopian: a lone soul wandering a desolate land with a looming red sky above. This is one of a few pieces that touch on aspects of the human condition, particularly our interaction with the natural world.

Starr emphasizes that he does not have a formal art education – instead, he began experimenting with images after attending a photography class at Indiana University. His goal since then has been to “stretch the photographic medium to new limits” and “produce artwork that moves and inspires while creating a conversation.” Like Davis and Hüber, Starr has certainly created work that encourages discussion and explores deeper viewer introspection.

Hollow Dusk will be on view in the Gallery Annex during the month of January. Stop by anytime between 9 AM-5 PM Monday through Friday to experience exciting new work from this talented trio. Every piece featured in the show will be for sale in-person and online in our online gallery.