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Exhibition Reception & Artist Talk: Friday, February 21st, 5:30pm | Free and Open to the public

Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art presents a captivating and visually chaotic exhibition featuring the work of Great Falls ceramic artist, Ken Kohoutek. The body of work on exhibit is the culmination of 8 years of creative expression for the artist. In Puzzled Paradise: Ceramic Chronicles by Ken Kohoutek, the viewer can expect to be thrilled and entertained by an aesthetic that is childlike, 1980’s retro, and futuristic. The imagery is evocative of everyday life experiences expressed through commercial logos, television or movies references, mundane daily events like making morning coffee, or engrained memories of a family trip and recurring dreams.

Kitschy and confused are another way of describing the collaged, bright, and minutely detailed compositions. Kohoutek’s postmodern aesthetic laid bare on ceramic tiles and amorphic vessels reminds us of design and color familiar to the Memphis Group, which has an appeal that is a pastiche of thrift store aesthetics including clashing patterns with colors, and wackiness, combined with figuration and autobiographical storytelling. The presentation of Kohoutek’s work at the museum brings the community an important opportunity to engage in a visual conversation with a significant local ceramic artist whose work is curious and engaging.

This exhibition is curated by Nicole Maria Evans, Chief Curator & Director of Curatorial Affairs at Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art. Exhibitions at the museum are supported in part by the Montana Arts Council, a state agency funded by the State of Montana, and the National Endowment for the Arts. We are funded in part by coal severance taxes paid based upon coal mined in Montana and deposited in Montana's cultural and aesthetic projects trust fund. Additional funding is provided by museum members and the citizens of Cascade County, Davidson Family Foundation, D.A. Davidson, Montana Credit Union, Hotel Arvon, First Interstate Bank, an anonymous donor, and Kelly’s Signs & Design.