The Harlow Gallery in Hallowell is kicking off the new year with John Carnes’ expressive watercolors, Matt Demers’ graffiti inspired mixed media pieces and Scott Minzy’s graphic linocut prints. This exhibition will run Jan. 16 through Feb. 7. An opening reception will be held on Friday, Jan. 16 from 5-8 p.m.

Through different methods each of these artists is exploring aspects of the way he sees and understands reality through the lens of the subconscious. Whether through an abstract map of the psyche, an exploded view of one’s character or through an illustrative psychodrama, each artist makes a long distance call to his subconscious in order to produce his art.

By placing these three artist's works together, a complex dialog among the three begins to emerge. Issues such as fear, regret, longing, and acceptance are touched upon in subtle and nuanced ways each in the style of the individual artists. Like a dream, when making the long distance call the artist does not know who or what he’ll get, a nightmare or a fantasy. This exhibition will invite the contemplation of difficult, contradictory and often personal issues raised by the artistic process.

For the past 20 years, John Carnes has been drawing and painting the mountains, rivers and streams of the remote western regions of Maine, the Baxter State Park area, and the Kennebec River Valley. He works primarily in watercolor, pastel, and graphite. Most recently he has been exploring the use of multiple graphite lines and limited color to suggest the transitory nature of things in the world, their continuous coming into existence and their impermanence. Carnes' studio/gallery, Artdogs, is located at 277 Water Street in Gardiner.

Matt Demers is a primarily self-taught artist from Gardiner with a background in graphic design. He began his career painting graffiti art and elements of that still appear in his current work. Demers' inspiration comes from the good and bad of chaos and changes in life. In his paintings he captures that constant commotion with strong forms, vivid colors, and rapid yet decisive brush strokes.

Scott Minzy creates artist’s books, relief prints and animations that deal with the universal themes of fear, regret and longing. His past life in public relations and corporate sales has led him to seek a less jaded, but more authentic life in the state of his birth. Minzy teaches fine art and digital media at Erskine Academy as well as in his studio in Gardiner. www.scottminzy.com.

The Harlow Gallery is located at 160 Water Street in Hallowell. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday noon to 6 p.m. Admission is free.

For more information contact the Harlow Gallery at 207-622-3818 or visit www.harlowgallery.org.