DIXON – Sensory experiences might describe the origin of nationally known painter and Dixon native David Klamen's art.

Klamen, 49, a 1979 Dixon High School graduate and art instructor at Indiana University Northwest in Gary, Ind., will present a slide show and speak about the evolution of his work and ideas Friday at The Next Picture Show, 113 W. First St.

His works range in style from digital abstraction to Renaissance realism. Some will be on hand Friday, but many of Klamen's pieces are in the permanent collections at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Whitney Museums of American Art, both in New York City, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, to name a few.

Klamen has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and a Master of Fine Arts from Art Institute of Chicago. He lives in Chicago with his wife, Dianne Lauble, and daughter, Amelia.

"My shows look like group shows where my work varies from one work to the next," Klamen said. "They aren't in a series, but together explore one common idea, to test the visual answer to the question of 'How do I know what I know?'

"One body of work might be very realistic, because it's based on empiricism or memory, whereas another body of work might be very abstract, because it's exploring things such as bar codes or Eastern processes of seeking enlightenment."

To attend

David Klamen will be at The Next Picture Show, 113 W. First St., Dixon, to present his work from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday; he will speak at 7 p.m. For more information, go to www.thenextpictureshow.com or call 815-285-4924.