When some people hear about an art exhibit, they visualize a series of paintings or drawings hanging in a quiet atmosphere.

Aaron Treher’s solo show, “Inside Out,” which had its opening reception at The Thought Lot on Friday, March 1, was the exact opposite.

From 6 to 9 p.m., people were given the opportunity to examine Treher’s various sculptures and installation art. They did so to the live music of solo guitarist, Ernest Garcia.

According to Treher, installation art is artwork that relies on the floor, walls or ceiling to stand. It cannot stand on its own and it must be disassembled and reassembled if it is to be moved.

His theme for the installation art was to show man-made objects in a natural way. Treher’s favorite installation art piece, for instance, was titled “Mountain.” The object used to create it was simple, but the overall idea was much more complex. The only materials involved were plywood boards.

They were strategically balanced against each other until meeting at the apex in the middle, giving the illusion of a mountain peak.

“I’ve been taking man-made objects that are replicated on a mass-produced scale and I put them together to represent an organic form,” Treher said.

Another piece that represented the idea of creating organic forms was called “Chair Blossom.”

Treher had been given wooden fold-up chairs by his grandmother. The chairs had originally been found in the basement of a church that was founded by Treher’s grandfather.

Treher was able to creatively link the chairs together in a way that characterized the structure of a cherry blossom. The overall effect was striking to everyone who entered the Thought Lot as it took up a large part of the room.

His show also featured, what Treher called, “core drillings” that signify the layers of modern establishments. One piece represented the layers of a bathroom, showing pieces of a toilet and a bathroom counter, while another exhibited various floor materials, representing the stories of a house.

Treher said his installation art was influenced by Marcel Duchamp, whom he credited as one of the fathers of contemporary art. After studying Duchamp’s artwork, he came up with the idea of taking different parts of the contemporary landscape and dissecting it as if someone were investigating the pieces.

Treher’s art show also included his sculptures. His over-sized sequoia pine cones were used to symbolize the four seasons. Each one was made of a different material including bronze, red cedar chips and cement.

Treher had an overall theme for his art show and the pieces featured in it.

“My work is about showing people different sides of objects they’re not used to looking at. The whole point of the sculptures is to shift the perspective of an object and learn something,” said Treher.

Treher’s show “Inside Out” will be on display for the public until April 27.

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