Tom Hausken: in media res 

OPENING RECEPTION: WED, OCT 29, 2014 5:30-7:30 PM 

Free and open to the public always 

EXHIBITION DATES: OCTOBER 24 – DECEMBER 7, 2014 

Gallery hours: TH & F 12-6 pm, SA 1-4 pm or by appointment 

YAKIMA, Washington – September 26, 2014 – Tom Hausken: in media res, will mark the first solo-artist exhibition in the main gallery of the Yakima Light Project Gallery at The Seasons Performance Hall in downtown Yakima, Washington. Inspired by the natural light of the Yakima Valley and the writing of revered Yakima native, Raymond Carver, Hausken’s new paintings explore the beauty of the area and investigate the depths of the artist’s emotions. 

A recent transplant to the Yakima area, Hausken brings his experience of 25 years of painting professionally in New York, NY and Seattle, WA to the Yakima Valley. Two years into his new life in Yakima, Hausken has found a new palette that has been influenced directly by living here and watching light in nature change with each passing sunrise and sunset. Combined with his long refined techniques of layering coats of paints and lacquers, the influence of the new color palette has pushed his artwork to new boundaries. 

Hausken’s process involves starting paintings on large pieces of artist-board. Inspired by words, phrases, and paragraphs taken directly from the writings of Raymond Carver, Hausken applies paints that drip freely or build rich surfaces. This language of texture is a personal one for the artist. The layers and subsequent scraping of dried paint tell a story that is not universally deciphered by all who stand in front of his paintings. The simplicity of the shapes and forms he paints allow viewers to get lost in thought. As paintings evolve on the studio walls, the artist often rotates a painting to make drips run horizontally. With other paintings, Hausken will cut a large painting into many smaller panels - creating new compositions and completed works of art.