CARSON CITY — Latex paint and pillow stuffing are just some of the materials Chris Bauder uses to dip, drip, pour, peel, stretch, stuff and mold to create the colorful plastic environments seen in his exhibit “Soft Switches.” The work is featured at the Nevada Arts Council’s OXS gallery April 1 to May 24. The gallery, 716 N. Carson St. in Carson City, is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free
Bauder’s unique hybrid style of painting and sculpture focuses on abundance and accessibility of color and the manipulation of form.
“These semi-organic forms are laden with sensual overtones and stimulate both the visual and tactile senses,” Bauder said. “They bulge and sag, suggesting animated qualities and plush elements of various surroundings that reference the human body, science fiction and familiar objects of pleasure.”
A Las Vegas native, Bauder lived in a small Mojave Desert town after high school for two years, the only time that he spent living outside of Nevada. Inspired by his professors and the flourishing Reno arts scene, he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2002 with a focus on sculpture and ceramics. Bauder earned a master’s degree in sculpture from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2008. The Brett Wesley Gallery in Las Vegas recently presented his work in a solo exhibition, and the College of Southern Nevada will host “Skull Show,” the biennial group show Bauder curates. He is a recipient of the NAC FY13 Artist Fellowship in Visual Arts.
Managed by the Artist Services Program of the Nevada Arts Council, the Office eXhibition Series, or OXS Gallery, features artists who have been recognized through the Artist Fellowship program. The Nevada Arts Council is a division of the Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, and is funded by the Nevada State Legislature and the National Endowment of the Arts. For more information, contact Fran Morrow at (775) 687-7106.The Nevada Arts Council, a division of the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, is the agency charged with ensuring that state and national funds support cultural activity and encourage participation in the arts throughout Nevada. In addition to providing hundreds of grants to arts and community-based organizations, schools, artists and local municipalities throughout the state, the Arts Council coordinates a variety of statewide programs and activities such as the annual Poetry Out Loud recitation competition for high-school aged students, traveling exhibits, artist residencies, workshops and cultural assessments. For more information, please visit the department’s website at nac.nevadaculture.org/
