TW Fine Art presents “Direct Message,” a group exhibition curated by Preston Douglas. He highlights the digital connectivity between artists with this poignant exhibition - wherein the curator found artists via social media and sent them a "direct message." Featuring works by Andre Yvon, Armando Nin, Brandon Araujo, Earth Aengel, Emma Safir, Frédéric Platéus, Grace Deal, Kaneem Smith, Robert Roest, Scout Zabinski, and Shana Hoehn, “Direct Message” seeks to create an atmosphere where the internet can be a portal to pluck creativity and plop it into the physical world.

These artists inhale the post-internet age and exhale work that coincides with the virtual self. The curator's self-diagnosed doom scrolling allows space for others to doom post - the rise of a cyclical search and find, viewing, and seeking.

As stated by Preston Douglas: "Regarding the double entendre of the exhibition title, there is no direct message, per se, for this larger group show. Some of the artists are from Houston. Some live international. Some are NYC locals. There is one thing in common, though; I've met all of these artists directly from my Instagram addiction. I am also interested in exploring these material and medium-based conversations in my practice. In a world where we see so much art on an app, I feel that work experienced in the physical realm should be more than a two-dimensional plane. Paintings now have a larger-than-life (or screen) responsibility to live up to and hopefully surpass our online expectations."

The work in “Direct Message” oscillates between painting, sculpture, and installation. From inception to actualization, the entire curatorial process relied on Instagram messaging and FaceTime studio visits. The curator did not see most of the works in person as an intentional measure. We will collectively witness how everything materializes in the physical realm.

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