Maker House Presents “rats live on, no evil star,” an Exhibition by Thomas Müller

Opening Reception and Artist Talk – November 8, 2024

Santa Barbara, CA – Maker House, Santa Barbara’s community arts hub, is thrilled to present rats live on, no evil star, a new exhibition by artist Thomas Müller, opening November 8 at 5 PM in the Maker House gallery. The exhibition will follow an artist talk by Müller at 4 PM, providing unique insights into his work and process. The show will remain on view until December 6, 2024.

Thomas Müller, an Associate Professor and Chair of Art, 3D, at the University of Southern California’s Roski School of Art and Design, is known for his thought-provoking, conceptual practice. Born in Cape Town, South Africa, and raised across Africa, Europe, and the United States, Müller’s diverse background informs his approach to themes of language, time, memory, and space. His sculptures, blending ambiguity with visual and textual elements, offer viewers a complex, layered experience.

In rats live on, no evil star, Müller explores the mutable and multivalent nature of language through material and process. His clay-based works play with phrases that collapse in form and concept, defying straightforward interpretation.

“Thomas Müller’s conceptual practice blurs the boundaries between sculptural and conceptual. His words and phrases, mired in clay, are fraught with ambiguity. Words rendered in a collapsed ceramic object, such as “Again & again & again & again &” are impossible to decipher either conceptually or materially; instead, they become a loop without a conclusion, resisting interpretation. Multiplicity of concept and material are equal partners in unmooring his time-based work, as ceramic yields to gravity and comprehension yields to inquiries.”

-Patricia Sweetow

The exhibition opening promises a captivating evening where attendees can delve into the conceptual intricacies of Müller’s work and interact with the artist. Admission to the artist talk and reception is free, and all members of the public are invited to attend.

Exhibition Details:

Exhibition Title: rats live on, no evil star

Artist: Thomas Müller

Opening Reception: November 8, 2024, 5:00 PM

Artist Talk: November 8, 2024, 4:00 PM

On View: November 8 – December 6, 2024

Location: Maker House, 1351 Holiday Hill Rd, Goleta, CA