Escapism 2.0
Featuring Painter and Sculptor
John Horton
ARTHOUSE on R, 1021 R Street, is proud to present the art exhibition “Escapism 2.0” at ARTHOUSE Gallery on historic R street in Sacramento, March 6 – April 7, 2025. Please join us as we feature the paintings and sculptures of John Horton at ARTHOUSE on R Gallery, 1021 R. Street in Sacramento. The opening reception including an opportunity to meet the artist is Saturday, March 8th from 5 – 8 pm.
“Escapism 2.0” is a series that represents an evolution from John Horton’s previous work, building upon familiar ideas while further abstracting the figurative form. The use of black and white ambiguity in distorted forms creates a space that feels both familiar and elusive. Horton challenges the viewer to engage with the work, find their own meaning; contemplate. Escapism 2.0 is tension, serenity, and beauty, encoded by the hand of a technoromantic luddite.
As an artist, Horton is fascinated by the complexities of technology in the modern world, but as a person he’s terrified of it. The relentless expansion of tech and the ways in which it controls our realities is about as far from wholesome as it gets. It has corrupted the art world to its core yet at the same time birthing infinite new boundaries and mediums to explore. Horton’s work itself is traditional art in a sense, acrylic & oil paints on canvas, metal, and found-object sculptures, but his artistic style and subject matter live in the digital realm.
Horton’s approach is one of constant experimentation, naive exploration, meticulous detail, controlled chaos, and spiritual angst. Through heavy abstraction of the human figure, he explores themes of singularity, dissonance, and ambiguity of perception. Quick and spontaneous gestures are combined with deliberate, laborious rendering, with the goal of creating a moment of emotional resonance and introspection for the viewer.
In addition to the gallery show, ARTHOUSE’s 21 resident artists will open their studios to the public for Second Saturday, March 8, from 5-8 PM. Bring your friends, meet the artists, enjoy and maybe even take home some art. On the first floor, visit our friends at Tea Cozy, The Constellation Marketplace, Rumpelstiltskin Yarn Store, dro & Tsutuomu Designs, Lucid Winery, and Fox & Goose. Immerse yourself in a fun and creative community here at the ARTHOUSE on R.
To learn more about John Horton please visit Instagram – @hightech_lowlife
For more information about ARTHOUSE, please visit:
www.arthouseonr.com, www.facebook.com/arthouseonr, www.instagram.com/arthouseonr