For more than 40 years, Texas artist Valton Tyler has depicted unparalleled worlds from his imagination. His captivating artworks feature unique interplays of identifiable, organic, mechanistic, and surreal shapes that often rise from mountain, desert, or arctic landscapes. Graphite drawings and large-scale paintings, along with one of the only etching series he created, are brought together for the first time in this rare exhibition of a local talent whose work defies artistic categorization.

Unconcerned with the perception of the art world, Tyler has always made art primarily for himself. “I must draw and paint,” he says. “If I don’t, I become depressed.” Born in Texas City on the Gulf Coast, Tyler turned to drawing as an emotional outlet during his troubled childhood. Although he never attended classes or received any formal training, he pursued his passion for art. By his 20s, he was offering drawings to friends and relatives in exchange for room and board. In 1970 Donald Vogel, founder of Valley House Gallery in Dallas, recognized Tyler’s talent and secured an opportunity for him to create etchings in the printmaking department at Southern Methodist University. He created an original series of more than 50 etchings, most of which are on view in this exhibition. With renewed confidence from his printmaking experiences, Tyler began painting his otherworldly places in a range of brilliant colors that enliven his unique forms.