77EAVEN /// Preston Douglas

Opening December 14th, 2021 6:00 - 9:00pm

curated by Ęarth Ængęł

‘Tis the Season for 77EAVEN where transparent angels hark the duality of harmony and destruction. The dramatics of theology disappear and reappear within the sheer fabric and hydrodipped artifacts of Preston’s work. Lit to the backdrop of this SAGA is a sound piece titled 77EAVEN, which reverberates an auditory hallucination against the epic polarity of spirituality in contemporary life. Heavenly bodies engaged in battle fade away into lucid fabric and are draped over skeletal chrome frames- ready to be zipped up and worn like a biker jacket. A game of Dice. Clutching the silver chain, whispering into the lucky #7 charm. “Praying” for the 7 stages of grief to blow full circle into one’s own definition of growth. This release becomes the final gift, before the winds of change gamble the fate and fortune of altruism into a moment of defense once more. Hands clasp together in awe of the outcome. Why do we never see the melding of the final battle and the depiction of a death draped over the arms of the audience melded together in one scene? In 77EAVEN Preston brings together the high contrast of iconic baroque symbolism of good & evil with the veiled gray space of adorning a violent history of fallacy and redemption. Like a loose garment, the soundscape falls into the background with a voice of a single soul. Ghostly notes of humility from the distorted herald angels sing- flooding the starkness and tragedy of the divisive decision of a sword. – EA

Preston Douglas, (b. 1995, Houston TX) explores the relationship between painting, fashion, performance, and installation. He began his artist career working with fashion as his primary medium and moved into painting shortly thereafter. Preston realized his interest is in the 2D image of these clothing-based projects rather than the functionality of the garments themselves, and painting seemed to be the perfect medium to solely focus on image making. Preston applies his knowledge and personal history of fashion fabrics and printing techniques in the context of painting. He examines the inherent sculptural qualities of paintings and challenges the notion that painters be relegated to using two fabrics; canvas and linen, and two tools; a brush and paint.

Preston has been recently focused on considering the stretcher bar as body, draping and stretching fabric on it as he would a human figure. He has also struggled with how flat printed paintings tend to be; and his use of transparent fabric in the CTHRUME paintings is his solution to that problem. There is an inherent sense of performance and installation in fashion-based projects that Preston attempts to take into the gallery setting, further activating his paintings and creating an intentional environment to experience the spiritual nature of his work.