Duane Reed Gallery in St. Louis is hosting a return exhibition of American printmaker Tom Huck, known for his large-scale satirical woodcuts. Huck, who works from his studio Evil Prints in Park Hills, Missouri, draws inspiration from Northern Renaissance masters like Albrecht Dürer, as well as José Guadalupe Posada, Honoré Daumier, and William Hogarth. His intricate carving and cross-hatching technique creates works that blend festive celebration with social criticism, which he describes as "rural satire" based on life in small-town southeast Missouri.
This exhibition matters because it highlights the continued relevance of traditional printmaking as a medium for sharp social commentary. Huck's work offers a distinctive regional perspective that challenges mainstream art narratives, and his return to Duane Reed Gallery—a gallery established in 1994 that represents contemporary artists in painting, photography, and sculpture—underscores the ongoing support for figurative and narrative-driven art in the Midwest.