“The model railroader is the truest creator: engineer, architect, and master of his own timetable,” reads a press release about Josh Dihle’s feverish exhibition, Basement Association.
Armed with lots of of minuscule objects from coral to LEGO, Dihle concocts dreamlike worlds during which figures develop into topographies and each cavity homes a shocking element. Peek contained in the cheek of “Moreau/Detrick Reliquary,” and discover a wooly mammoth with lustrous stones embedded in its picket tusks. “Confluence” is analogous as carved fish jut out of the foam-and-plaster floor alongside timber and palms with widespread fingers.
Element of “Confluence” (2025), oil, acrylic, coloured pencil, resin, fossils, rocks, LEGO, marbles, seaside glass, plastic toys, coral, paper pulp, plaster gauze, foam, cherry, and carved walnut on panel, 57 x 45 x 19 inches
Evoking mannequin railroads and dollhouses, Dihle’s sculptural work incorporate recognizable objects however with an uncanny, if not skewed, perspective. Stretching almost 5 ft tall, the large-scale works cling on the wall and draw a distinction between the general composition, seen straight on, and the miniature vignettes finest taken in at a 90-degree angle. Step again and see an aerial panorama with hills formed like lips or a sunken nostril, whereas close-up inspection turns into a dizzying hunt for unlikely gadgets tucked into each crevice.
The exhibition title originates with hermit hobbyists, who appear to return alive when cloistered in worlds of their very own making. What seems to outsiders as an escape from actuality is, for them, an try to prepare the chaos and take management, even when within the type of toys and make-believe.
For those who’re in Chicago, see Basement Association at Andrew Rafacz by July 18. Discover extra from Dihle on his web site.
Element of “Confluence” (2025), oil, acrylic, coloured pencil, resin, fossils, rocks, LEGO, marbles, seaside glass, plastic toys, coral, paper pulp, plaster gauze, foam, cherry, and carved walnut on panel, 57 x 45 x 19 inches“Moreau/Detrick Reliquary” (2024), walnut, paper pulp, plaster, foam, fake fur, discovered objects, acrylic, and oil on panel, 40.25 x 31 x 13 inchesElement of “Moreau/Detrick Reliquary” (2024), walnut, paper pulp, plaster, foam, fake fur, discovered objects, acrylic, and oil on panel, 40.25 x 31 x 13 inches“Brittle Star” (2025), oil, acrylic, casein, coloured pencil, Legos, fossils, rocks, plastic toys, marbles, mosaic tile, buttons, carved walnut, paper pulp, plaster gauze, foam, and plywood on panel, 47 x 21 inches“Confluence” (2025), oil, acrylic, coloured pencil, resin, fossils, rocks, LEGO, marbles, seaside glass, plastic toys, coral, paper pulp, plaster gauze, foam, cherry, and carved walnut on panel, 57 x 45 x 19 inches“Sighting” (2025), casein, coloured pencil, rocks, fossils, eyeball agate, agate, amber, discovered objects, plastic toys, mosaic tile, marbles, LEGO, beads, thumb tacks, and seaside glass on carved basswood, 18 x 14 x 1.5 inches“Falls” (2025), acrylic, turquoise, meteorite, fossil, marble, rocks, plastic toy, paper pulp, plaster gauze, twine, maple, and foam on panel, 42 x 32.5 x 11 inches“Radon” (2025), casein, acrylic, resin, turquoise, rocks, LEGO, discovered jewellery, plastic Micro Machine, fossil, seaside glass, and walnut on panel, 13.25 x 10.25 x 1.25 inchesElement of “Radon” (2025), casein, acrylic, resin, turquoise, rocks, LEGO, discovered jewellery, plastic Micro Machine, fossil, seaside glass, and walnut on panel, 13.25 x 10.25 x 1.25 inchesSet up view of ‘Basement Arrangement’
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