Paxton Maroney is a conceptual artist. Her surreal photography invites the outside world to step inside snapshots of her dreams. For several years, she has woken up from vivid dreams, often in the middle of the night, and drawn the images composed on the backs of her eyelids. At times, she even engages in lucid dreaming throughout the day as she’s “trained her brain” to create new chimera for her portraiture. Then, when she has scouted out the perfect location, she begins painstakingly reconstructing the scenes of her subliminal imagination.

For Paxton, her dreams aren’t stories so much as they are symbolic images that tend to reveal a deeper meaning. Instead, the stories are composed through bringing these images to life through her photography and then compiling them into cohesive series.

For WEST OF 3:00AM, Paxton traveled through West Texas and along the West Coast, which inspired her to photograph the contrasting environments intertwined by the concept of marking the landscape with lucid squares slicing through, resting in and defining the scale of the planes. When she visited Joshua Tree, however, her experience transitioned the work from envisioning almost solid structures to imagining a physical expression of her soul, her light, moving through the space. This same perception translated to Chino Hills and other parts of California. The abstractions began very linearly – with the square forms. Rigid yet bright. Moving into more of a sporadic pattern – neon lights characterized by the emotions she felt in the space.

“There’s more of a freedom here. Nothing is holding me back anymore. I am free to wander. This is my journey. What route will I take next?”

For the series Then My Soul Saw You, Paxton loosened the reins a bit on her process, creating pieces that are more organic, less constrained. And as a result, this collection portrays another, perhaps more vulnerable side of the artist. Augmenting her signature composite work with ominous clouds of watercolor, Paxton illustrates a struggle with anxiety, doubt and sadness countered by rigid lines of stringwork – a creative endeavor to understand the darkness and regain control.

The series titled Anscoflex was created in Archer City, TX and was shot digitally through the viewfinder of her Anscoflex camera. One may question why she didn't just use film? Whether it is a single image, her digitally composited work or her mixed media, Paxton is always intentional with her process.  As you take a peek through the glass, a sense of presence is allowed. 

Exhibitions and Events:

• Solo Exhibition, WEST OF 3:00 AM, November 2nd - 30th, 2018 {neighborhood} gallery 411 N. Bishop Ave.Dallas, Texas 75208 Closing Reception December 1st, 2018 6-8pm
• Dixon Gallery & Gardens Art on Fire Exhibition (Hot off the Wall), Memphis, TN Wednesday, October 17, 10 am - 5 pm, Thursday, October 18, 10 am - 8 pm, and Friday, October 19, 10 am - 5 pm http://www.dixon.org/artonfire
• PROTO-POP Group Exhibition Dab Art Ventura, CA April 21-May27
• ART214 City of Dallas Latino Cultural Center Exhibition April 12-May25
• LACDA ELECTRON SALON Exhibition: April 12-May 5, 2018 Reception: Saturday, April 14, 6-9pm Artwalk preview: April 12, 7-9pm
• Dallas: A Contemporary Art Exhibition at Roche Bobis April 5th 2018
• Art Conspiracy 13 artist, Nov. 11 2017
• Art Conspiracy Seed Artist 2017, Life in Deep Ellum June 3, 7pm-11pm
• Significance Imposed: A Reading at Deep Ellum Lit Hop at Kettle Art June 3rd 4pm-5:30pm
• Significance Imposed at Kettle Art in Deep Ellum, May 11th opening reception
• Then My Soul Saw You exhibition at Neighborhood in Bishop Arts May 6th-29th
• Solo exhibition at Jen Mauldin Gallery, Dallas. Title: Reverie February 4th-27th 2017
• Artist representation Jen Mauldin Gallery 408 N. Bishop, Suite 103, Dallas, Texas 75208 
• TVAA National Competition and Exhibit artist. Dec.5-28th 2016 Mesquite Arts Center 1527 North Galloway Avenue
  Mesquite, TX 75149 (Dec 8 5pm - 7pm Reception and awards presentation) 
• Virtual to Actual 5 artist at Viridian Artists. September 27th-October 15th 2016 548 W 28th St #632, New York, NY 10001
• Selected Artist for Axis Gallery’s 11th National Juried Exhibition, Sacramento, CA. Artist Reception August 13th 2016
• Selected Artist for Third Annual Artspace111 Regional Juried Exhibition, Exhibition on Display | June 24 – August 6, 2016
• Art Conspiracy ANONYMOUS Saturday, June 4, 2016 7:00 – 11:00 pm LIFE in Deep Ellum 2803 Taylor St. Dallas, TX 75226
• Fractal Logic 3 exhibition artist at Kettle Art in Deep Ellum Dallas. Opening March 24, 2016
• Art Con 11 Artist. Auction is Saturday, November 14, 2015 WHERE: 1450 Browder Street, Dallas, TX 75215
• KXT 91.7 selected artist for Fall Fundraiser
• Selected Artist with Peter Miller Fine Art 2nd Open Call Juried Photography Exhibition
  October 15 – November 14, 2015
  Jurored by Paula Tognarelli, Executive Director and Curator of the Griffin Museum of Photography.
  Opening Reception Thursday October 15, 2015
• The Beginning | Aiden's Dream and The Veil were selected in The Dreamers Collection by See Me's Exposure Award and is available for purchase here (http://www.peecho.com/…/…/136584-The%20Dreamers%20Collection)
  http://www.seemorebeauty.com/collections/dreamers.html
  The photography presented within this collection was honoured at a private reception at the Louvre Museum, in Paris, July 13th, 2015. Honored my work was chosen and featured today, August 27th 2015, at the intro to the collection online. Thank you See Me!
• Directors Choice Award Viridian Artists’ 26th International Juried Competition June 30 – July 18, 2015
• Selected artist at FRONT Art Space | OPEN15 Publication | June 18th - July 2nd 2015 Location: TriBeCa - 118 chambers st. NY, NY, 10007.
• Selected Artist for Art Conspiracy SKEWED, a live art auction of work from 40+ curated artists selected to create and auction their art based on this years inspiration of skewing concepts and ideas.  June 6, 7pm-11pm
• Sweetwater Center for the Arts: selected artist for Shaping New Worlds Exhibition with Juror Lori Kella. A National Exhibition of Constructed Photography. Opening Reception is Friday, April 10th, 6-9pm Exhibition Dates: April 10th - June 13th 2015 Reception held in conjunction with the Sewickley Spring Gallery and Art Walk
• The Center for Fine Art Photography: selected artist for H2O (Water) Exhibition with Juror Dina Mitrani and awarded Hamidah Glasgow's Director's Honorable Mention for works titled "Self-Reflection" April 24, 2015 - May 30, 2015
• Artist in the LOCAL Spring Art Exhibition at the UT Southwestern Medical Center Library. Reception March 5, 2015
• NYC4PA New York Center for Photographic Art Honorable Mention in the Portraits 2014 Call for Entry. Artwork titled "Allena" was selected by juror Ellen Denuto to be inclued in the online gallery and the catalog. 
• NYC4PA New York Center for Photographic Art Honorable Mention in the Black and White 2014 Call for Entry.
  Artwork titled "Serendipity" was selected by juror Dan Burkholder to be included in the online gallery and the catalog. 
• Featured Artist small works – BIG TALENT Las Laguna Gallery December 4th thru December 27th
• Solo Exhibition in Arlington, TX at The Upstairs Gallery Nov. 1st-25th.
• Fall Gallery Night 2014 at The Upstairs Gallery, Arlington, TX
• New Texas Talent XXI at Craighead Green, Dallas, TX
• Awarded by See | Me, artwork entitled Waters Edge, featured in Times Square, taking over the entire 25-story-tall billboard on July 26th, 2014.
• Paxton was one of the featured artists in the White Linen Dallas Exhibition benefitting the Bridge May 15th, 2014