**Special Hours: The Gallery will be open to ticket holders only starting at 5PM on Tuesday Oct 20th for the Cartoon Saloon Panel**

Optical Allusions by Bill Carman

May 12, 2012 - June 3, 2012

Reception / May 12, 6:00PM - 9:00PM

Perhaps you've taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way, but now you are most certainly in unfamiliar territory. You quickly glance around to discover you are surrounded by spindly albino trees rooted starkly against a dark background of moving silhouettes. The air has turned a cool mist and you can see your breath.

Fluttering above your head, you spy birds with striped beaks five times the length of their tiny crimson bodies. A cackling of mad laughter echoes from the distance sending a chill up your spine. There is a cacophony of strange horns and bells accompanied by a marching of heavy footsteps seemingly heading in your direction. You swiftly make an about face to find a group of odd creatures wearing suits peering down at you through monoculars.

Welcome to the peculiar wonderland of Bill Carman, a fascinating world of characters on display and inclined to lure you into their mischievous agendas.

About the Artist:

Bill Carman's award-winning work straddles the line between narrative and surreal. A trained artist having earned an MFA in fine arts from Brigham Young University, Carman has since achieved notable success with his imagery as well as garnering an impressive list of clients including Macmillan Publishing, Random House, and LucasArts. His achievements include the children's book, What's That Noise? In addition, he also currently teaches art at Boise State University.