“The mannequin railroader is the truest creator: engineer, architect, and grasp of his personal timetable,” reads an announcement about Josh Dihle’s feverish exhibition, Basement Association.
Armed with lots of of minuscule objects from coral to LEGO, Dihle concocts dreamlike worlds by which figures turn into topographies and each cavity homes a stunning element. Peek contained in the cheek of “Moreau/Detrick Reliquary,” and discover a wooly mammoth with lustrous stones embedded in its wood tusks. “Confluence” is comparable 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, seashore 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 toes tall, the large-scale works grasp on the wall and draw a distinction between the general composition, considered 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 arrange the chaos and take management, even when within the type of toys and make-believe.
When you’re in Chicago, see Basement Association at Andrew Rafacz via July 18. Discover extra from Dihle on his web site.
Element of “Confluence” (2025), oil, acrylic, coloured pencil, resin, fossils, rocks, LEGO, marbles, seashore 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, seashore 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 seashore 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, seashore 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, seashore glass, and walnut on panel, 13.25 x 10.25 x 1.25 inchesSet up view of ‘Basement Association’
