By Dan Murphy
With ‘Ego & Insecurities’ – his first solo exhibition which opens on Friday, Aug. 23, at the Piano Craft Gallery in the South End – visual artist Ryan Horton will use collage as the medium to explore his identity as a Black man living in the U.S., as well as to juxtapose his personal experience against prevailing stereotypes surrounding race in society.
Ryan Horton’s work, ‘Ancestral Bond.’
“{My exhibit] focuses on the internal struggle of balancing one’s ego and insecurities,” Horton, a 31-year-old Jamaica Plain resident, wrote ahead of the exhibit opening. “Through the medium of digital collage, I explore how personal dilemmas of self-worth, self-appreciation, and self-image create an internal tension that impacts my perception of self.”
A native of Lilburn, Ga. Horton earned a master’s in architecture from Northeastern University, as well as a bachelor’s of fine arts from Savannah (Ga.) College of Art & Design.
“That’s where I learned to appreciate aesthetic and presentation,” Horton said of the education he received at Savannah. “From there, it helped with my understanding of how to communicate different ideas, which I think is pivotal to having a successful career and in communicating with people.”
Horton made the leap from graphic designer to full-time artist about a year and a half ago, and in addition to his upcoming solo show, his work has also been on display in numerous other group exhibitions, including at the African American Museum of Dallas, Boston City Hall, and MIT’s Koch Institute Public Gallery, among others. Horton’s work has also been featured in art publications including Artist Talk, New Visionary Magazine, and Create! Magazine.
For ‘Ego & Insecurities,’ Horton will offer 20-plus pieces, ranging in size from 12-by-12 inches to 48-by-60 inches, along with three, 3-D installation pieces, which all spill out over their respective canvases and extend into other spaces. The installation pieces, he said, are meant to convey moments in his life where he felt uncomfortable or insecure, despite being in seemingly comfortable situations.
“Through the overlay and manipulation of images in my collages, I create surreal and jarring compositions that channel and challenge my identity and expressions as a Black man in America and the stereotypes that come with it,” Horton wrote. “By doing so, I aim to combat the pressures to conform and the tendency to compare myself to who I am supposed to be, in hopes to allow myself to embrace both the ego and insecurities that make me. I aim to combat the pressures to conform and the tendency to compare myself to who I am supposed to be, in hopes to allow myself to embrace both the ego and insecurities that make me who I am.”
Meanwhile, Horton started working in the collage medium in 2021. He credits a ‘great friend,’ Joyce Saiete, a New York graphic artist, for encouraging him to explore new mediums in his art, including collage.
Horton also said he draws inspiration from the work of Troy Browne, a mixed-design artist based in the United Kingdom..
Prior to embracing collage as his primary medium, Horton said his main interests were sketching and ‘sequential design.’ He said he had a “deep appreciation” for comic book art then and sometimes drew comic book characters, although he never composed a full storyline, or assembled a true narrative in comic-book form.
Horton was interested in photography then, too, he said, though he said he was often just dabbling. As he began making collage art for himself, however, Horton began to use his own photography to create self-portraits.
“As I cut and stitched together photos I realized the flexibility of the medium and the strength of expression I was able to create,” Horton wrote. “As I continue to mature as an artist, I want to make sure I keep up with skill sets I’ve developed across mediums.”
To this end, a close look at Horton’s collage work reveals what he describes as “signature single-line contours throughout the pieces to complement the work.”
Ryan Horton’s ‘Ego & Insecurities’ will be on exhibit Aug. 23 through Sept. 8 at the Piano Craft Gallery at 793 Tremont St. in the South End.
An opening reception for the exhibit will be held Friday, Aug. 23, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the gallery while a closing reception will take place there on Sunday Sept. 8, from 3 to 5 p.m.
An Artist Talk with Horton, moderated by fellow local artist Jamaal Eversley, will also be held on Sunday, Aug. 25, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the gallery.
Visit https://pianocraftgallery.com/piano-craft-gallery-2022-23/ryan-horton-ego-amp-insecurities for more information on the exhibit.