MORE OF THE SAME: A Series of Juvenile Collages and Some paintings by a Middle-Aged Man By Bart Vargas – Opening Reception

MORE OF THE SAME: A Series of Juvenile Collages and Some paintings by a Middle-Aged Man By Bart Vargas

Opening Reception

First Friday February 2nd

7 – 10 Petshop Gallery

From the artist:
For this exhibit, I deliberately made collages out of magazines and books published over my lifetime. Starting with old National Geographics and Playboys from the 1970’s, I collected publications from every decade of my life combining images to make new ones. Some of these images are playful and juvenile, some are heavy and serious, while others are ambiguous and open ended. Yet all are straight forward compositions that utilize my sense of humor, life experiences, issues that face our society, and so much more.

Oh, and some paintings. Paintings from two bodies of work that have been developed out of my daily drawing series, a series of drawings directly influenced by the collage process.

About the artist:
Bart Vargas is a Visual Artist, Educator, and Advocate from Bellevue, Nebraska. He received his BFA from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and his MFA at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. He has exhibited nationally and internationally, and
his work can be found in many collections throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, Australia, and South America. His works have also been featured in many publications including Sculpture Magazine, New American Paintings, and HGTV Magazine. Vargas
lives with his wife Bekah Jerde, and their 70+ plants in Omaha, Nebraska where they operate an international studio. Vargas is currently a Professor of Visual Arts at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and serves on several boards for
local and regional non-profit organizations that support the Arts.