Jerome Michael McLaughlin (MFA '16) wants to start a conversation. Whether it's though his art or talking with another artist in the hallways at PAFA, he craves a dialogue.

"On my first day at PAFA, Read (Lockhart, MFA '14) approached me, and was wise about the art world and he ended up serving as both as a friend and mentor," he said. Their friendship bloomed as McLaughlin went through the post-baccalaureate program and then the MFA program at the academy.

Lockhart, a MFA student at the time focusing on oil painting, had come to PAFA from New York to combine his technical skills with his contemporary work. He was always looking for conversations too.

"I was looking for grad programs to increase my dialogue with a larger and wider range of artists," he said. "I felt like PAFA was a place I could learn about modern and contemporary art, and use the skill set I had worked on."

The two graduated from the MFA program, and both landed in the southwest: Lockhart in Taos, New Mexico, and McLaughlin in Wimberly, Texas. McLaughlin calls Wimberly a secret place for artists, where he is afforded the opportunity to work on his art.

"I would describe my work as nomadic and analogic. I'm an object maker and I love to manufacture and make with my hands," McLaughlin said. "I'm a contemporary artist but I'm not necessarily attempting to reflect this exact moment in time. I want to reflect all time, backward and forward."

In Taos, Lockhart saw the time had come for a new kind of gallery in town.

"A friend told me about a space downtown and it had an apartment in the back," he said, describing how the Read Lockhart Gallery was thrust into reality. "The economics of the dual use live/work situation has enabled me to open the gallery with less financial pressure than might be the case for other spaces."

Lockhart said he can showcase the work that interests him, not the work that will guarantee him a sale. This approach of showcasing art without pressure was a breath of fresh air for McLaughlin.

"I don't think of my art from a commercial standpoint because it's like charging for a conversation," McLaughlin said. "I want to open new doors of perception and challenge people to think differently and have a more thoughtful approach to the world. I want people to engage with my work.

His exhibition "Where a Circle Ends" will be on display February 6 through March 9, 2018 at the Read Lockhart Gallery. In a series of fifty-six 6" x 6" paintings on cardboard, McLaughlin "uses tape, string, and black and white paint, to transform our understanding of simple quotidian ingredients and manufactures complex scenarios—unexpected worlds into which we fall freely. Paint is no longer just applied, it hides itself in layers; scratched, crumpled paper tied with string becomes waves of light and lines of force. These worlds appear recognizable yet we know of them only through our own restless dreams."

McLaughlin has also brought a collection of sculptural works to the gallery to spark a dialogue.

"One of the things that I'm looking forward to is having Jerome in town and have him meet people and start exposing the town to a deeper conversation," Lockhart said. "He is a great mind and his work and dedication to art is superb—and amazingly, it only continues to get stronger. It is great to be able to have a space in which Jerome, and hopefully others, can show their work."

Read Lockhart Gallery has more information on the exhibition.

—LeAnne Matlach (LMatlach@pafa.org)