February 7 – March 8, 2014

Haslem and Gallery Three
Sponsored by: Alliance of the Swope

In this exhibition, contemporary artist and author Craig McDaniel displays the results of his experiments in merging his dual background in creative writing and painting.

After decades of writing about art and painting narrative scenes, the artist developed an experimental novel based on the characters and situations in his paintings. The novel, The Story of E, led to more paintings, contemplation of the indistinct separation between writing and painting that he was experiencing, and ultimately to a new body of work, which will also be on view, in which letters are linked to colors.

McDaniel painted the narratives in a stylized manner that is at times mixed with a manic amount of detail. The large paintings mix the everyday with elements of fantasy or dream as well as humor and poetry. McDaniel also defies visual conventions of time in these works, which are imbued with a sense of mystery and melancholy.

McDaniel is Professor of Fine Art and Associate Dean at Indiana University’s Herron School of Art and Design, IUPUI.