Over forty years and across a variety of media, artist Rick Bartow created a powerful body of work. His representations of humans, animals, hybrid creatures, and shadowy figures display such exquisite beauty or grotesque absurdity—sometimes both at once—that a viewer cannot help being pulled into the artist's world. The experience can be whimsical and troubling by turns, but is always undeniably transformative. Born in Oregon, Bartow (1946-2016) was a member of the Wiyot tribe of the Humboldt Bay region, and his art carries influences of his heritage as well as his fine-art training, travels, and life events.

This exhibition catalog accompanied the show Rick Bartow: Things You Know But Cannot Explain, which originated at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art (University of Oregon, Eugene) and was on view at 11 additonal venues into early 2020. Published by Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at Univeristy of Oregon, Froelick Gallery, and The Bartow Trusts.