Mailbox III

Initially attracted to Abstract Expressionism, Houser began exploring a more exacting method of painting after seeing a rural mailbox “solitarily waiting like a sentry against a blue, clear sky.” His hard-edge, flatly painted canvases have a purity of structure and singularity of purpose that intensifies the viewer’s perceptions of reality. By elevating a mundane feature of American culture—here, an ordinary mailbox—to the status of art icon, Houser reveals his sympathy for the Pop sensibility. Mailbox III is a skillful integration of clear air, crisp colors, and the vivid contrast of light and shadow.