Exhibition Dates: October 7 – October 28, 2017
Opening Reception: Saturday, October 7 from 6–9 pm, in conjunction with Art for Arts’ Sake
Gallery Location: 434 Julia Street, New Orleans, LA 70130
Hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 10 am–5 pm
Contact Info: 504.522.1999; arthurrogergallery.com
The Arthur Roger Gallery is pleased to present Balancing Act, an exhibition of work by Troy Dugas. The exhibition will be on view at Arthur Roger@434, located at 434 Julia Street, from October 7 – October 28, 2017. The gallery will host an opening reception with the artist in attendance on Saturday, October 7 from 6-9pm, in conjunction with Art for Arts’ Sake.
Troy Dugas is renowned for his meticulously created mandala-like compositions from shredded labels, as well as more recent works incorporating additional media to form portraits and compelling still life compositions. Balancing Act, the artist’s fifth exhibition with the gallery, refers to an attempt to balance representation and abstraction. The featured works, ranging from medium- to large-scale, signalize an evolution of the artist’s work and include new geometric compositions as well as dynamic still lifes. The abstract, radial forms evolve from simple motifs into original, complex, and expanding designs. The still life pictures are a conglomerate of Modern Art historical references set into new arrangements keeping in tradition with a Cubist sensibility.
Cut pieces of recycled papers glued down in layers create vibrating patterns that come together to reveal a unified image or design. Incorporating painting and drawing media in conjunction with the collage material loosens the visual impact of the work allowing moments of vulnerability, exploration, reflection, and refinement.
Troy Dugas was born in Rayne, LA in 1970. He received his B.F.A. from the University of Louisiana in Lafayette and his M.F.A. from the Pratt Institute in New York. He has exhibited nationally and has received numerous accolades including Second Place in the Ogden Museum of Southern Art’s juried exhibition, Louisiana Contemporary (2016); a Pollock-Krasner Grant (2009-10); and a fellowship from the Louisiana Division of the Arts (2007-08). He has been featured in several publications including the juried publications New American Paintings and Studio Visit Magazine; the New Orleans Art Review; and David Rubin’s book Psychedelic: Optical and Visionary Art since the 1960s. In 2012, Dugas was featured in the Oxford American Magazine article “The New Superstars of Southern Art.” His work is in numerous collections including the New Orleans Museum of Art and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans, LA; the Meadows Museum of Art, Shreveport, LA; the Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum, Lafayette, LA; and the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation in Los Angeles, CA. Dugas lives and works in Lafayette, LA.