Satirical and macabre, the paintings of T.L. Solien are ambiguous and introspective. Familiar pop imagery is tossed up in a vague world of humor and drama. Born in Fargo, North Dakota, T.L. Solien enjoys a national reputation as an artist. He received his MFA in painting and sculpture from the University of Nebraska in 1977 and has since exhibited worldwide in museum exhibitions. His artworks can be found in numerous private and public collections throughout the country including, the Whitney Museum in New York, the Smithsonian Institute and the National Museum of American Art in DC, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
"Something about surrealism resonates with Midwestern experience. The quintessential Midwestern artist T.L. Solien has used it for the last 25 years to capture a sense of alienation and fragmentation in strangely beautiful works pervaded by dark humor." -S. Hagen, Philadelphia Citypaper, June 6, 2002
SHINNECOCK, Oil and Enamel on Canvas, 78 x 94"
DECK SHOES, Mixed Media and Collage on Paper, 30x35"
LIFE LINE, Oil and Enamel on Canvas, 60 x 72"
NO SUICIDES, Mixed Media and Collage on Paper, 30x35"
BRUSH WOLF WITH RASPBERRIES, Digital Print and Mixed Media, 22 x 30"
NIGHT RIDER, Oil and Enamel on Canvas, 60 x 72" (Collection of the Milwaukee Art Museum)
HE, Mixed Media and Collage on Paper, 30x35"
CABIN CRUISER (Blue), Mixed Media Monoprint with Collage, 46 x 53"
PARSON'S TABLE, Mixed Media and Collage, 59 x 47"
THE CLEARING, Mixed Media and Collage, 31 1/4 x 39"
SPOUTER BREAKFAST, Mixed Media and Collage on Paper, 30x35"
WHAT IS A MONOPRINT? A monoprint describes a print where there is a fixed image common to other prints, yet the uniqueness of the final work of art is captured through additive processes or color changes from print to print. In a monoprint, permanent marks are made on the plate which can be repeated from print to print in varying colors. To make the print a one-of-a-kind work of art, the artist can change the original image by adding more images with paint or drawing tools, or elements of collage.