February 28 - March 26, 2025
From Flatland Gallery:
“Flatland Gallery is pleased to present *Provocation & Process*, a dynamic exhibition featuring the works of Mark 5 Art and David Edgar Jr. This show explores the interplay between provocation and artistic process, inviting viewers to engage deeply with both the conceptual and material foundations of each artist’s work.
Mark 5 Art’s guiding mantra is *Art Provoking Thought*, a philosophy that serves as the foundation for this exhibition. The artists use Provocation as a central theme, expressed through language, color, and innovative techniques. While vastly different in subject matter and aesthetics, both artists share a commitment to nontraditional processes that challenge conventional approaches to painting. Mark 5 Art employs a unique method of cutting raw canvas into letters and shapes before collaging them back into his compositions. His layered phrases encourage the viewer to actively search for meaning, sometimes obscured within the painting’s textures and at other times boldly visible. This interplay of text and abstraction prompts an immersive experience—one of deciphering both form and message.
David Edgar Jr. complements this approach with his use of reductive photography alongside gestural strokes of vivid, lush paint in his MonDune series. In the Relic series, the works are pure color and gestural forms on panels. His visceral technique blends traditional and industrial materials, creating works that elicit an immediate emotional response. The deliberate sizing and proportions of the pieces further unify the exhibition, subtly connecting two distinct visual languages into a cohesive whole.
### Mark 5 Art in His Own Words
A lifelong storyteller using multiple mediums evolved after years of introspection, which has become the heartbeat of my Art and creative process.
I am fascinated by psychology and philosophy and the emotions that color our perceptions of the world. There is an emotional residue of lived experiences in each piece of my art, an effort to externalize what is often kept inside.
My process is part creation and part Revelation, seeking to disrupt the layers of conditioning we face every day and explore the complexities of not only the world around us but who we are, suggesting a way to navigate the world we live in.
My art is an act of self-discovery. It is a means to better understand myself and how I construct meaning from my experiences in order to be a better human. It is in these moments that true meaning is found, not in answers but in the questions themselves.
Ultimately, the purpose of my work is an invitation to engage the viewer to pause, to question and to linger with their own inner dialogue.
### David Edgar Jr. in His Own Words
“My lifelong pursuit has been the fashioning of objects from whatever materials I could find. As a child, I was obsessed with building treehouses and skateboard ramps—early creative explorations that laid the foundation for my artistic journey. After earning my BFA in Painting and Sculpture from TCU in 1988, I have continued to make art alongside my career in construction. Over the years, I have exhibited in Houston, New York City, San Francisco, and Tokyo. Having spent 25 years in NYC, I’ve now come full circle, returning to Houston in 2019 to continue my art practice while also running my new construction company, PH Builders of Texas.”
Join us at Flatland Gallery for the opening reception of *Provocation & Process* on February 28 from 6–10 PM. Engage with the works, meet the artists, and explore the boundaries of process-driven contemporary art.
Show closes March 26, 2025”
Reception: February 28, 2025 | 6–10 pm
1709 Westheimer Rd.
Houston , 77098 Texas
(202) 293-0370
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