SOLD OUT.

Gather at Sub Rosa on Saturday, October 26th to celebrate the opening of New York City-based artist Doug Argue's new body of work, Fire for Fire - an unabashed commentary on climate change and the epidemic of book banning.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Artists' talk begins at 6 p.m. Ticket holders will receive a copy of Doug Argue's book: Letters to the Future. Doors open to the public at 7 p.m.

As Canadian forest fire smoke blanketed New York City in the summer of 2023, Argue began reimagining Hudson River School paintings in flames -- considering not only the impact of climate change, but also reflecting on "a time when artistic traditions should rightfully be under fire for their biased and non-inclusive history." Argue writes: "I left the people intact, pondering nature as if nothing was astray, as the fires burn around them." Using an archival printer, Argue has reproduced Hudson River School paintings and overlayed fire in oil paint to create this series.

In 2023, Argue’s career survey exhibition at the Weisman Art Museum was, shockingly, not accompanied by the book that inspired it. Letters to the Future, edited by Claude Peck and published by Skira in Milan, was set to accompany the exhibition by the same name (the book was released in 2020 and the exhibition opening was delayed from 2020 to 2023 due to COVID); the book contains a forward by the former Weisman Art Museum Director (who booked the show, but left the museum in 2020) and an essay by the show's guest curator. When the exhibition opened in 2023, Argue gave a customary opening lecture at the museum and concluded his talk by directing the attendees to the museum shop to find his book. With no prior warning, Argue and the museum guests discovered that the museum had pulled the book from its shelves. Argue writes, "It was one of the worst experiences I have ever had." The banning of Letters to the Future gave Argue a personal cause to delve deeper into understanding the book bans - and the communities that are most affected - which have become pervasive in the latest incarnation of our culture wars. For this series, Argue used an archival printer to reproduce images of piles of books - taken from his own paintings that were completed in 1996 - and overlayed fire in oil paint.

Doug Argue’s forty-year painting career has culminated in a well-known and recognizable body of work that ranges from pure abstraction to representation. Argue’s work reflects his poetic interest in the relationship between infinity and the individual, creating an expansive vision, shaped by his travels, readings, and connections with creatives worldwide. He captures the constant flux and shifting of life. His oeuvre includes creating larger-than-life paintings, these expressionist images, exploring his interests in time, space, the environment, and the nature of perception, stands apart from the abstract or conceptual art of many of his contemporaries.

Doug will be joined by his good friend and co-conspirator, Ocean Vuong, for an intimate conversation. Doug and Ocean became friends at the Civitella Ranieri Artist retreat in Umbria, Italy. “Sharing meals and walks and conversation in the Italian countryside with Ocean and the other fellows was one of the great joys of my life. A moment in time that can never be repeated and still brings me great joy.” Sub Rosa is honored to host these two brilliant minds and gather in community with you all. 🌹