A paved road in the middle of a field of poppies is leading to a black hole, a mysterious void. Two shallow hills appear in the background. In his current exhibition Christian Rieben shows paintings with the cryptic title "Friend of Dorothy". But the paintings are deserted, only the candy coloured poppies densely populate the canvas. Who the f**** is Dorothy? And why does the path end in a black hole?

The phrase "Friend of Dorothy" dates back to at least World War II, when homosexual acts were illegal in the United States. Gay historians say that the term came into popular use in the 1950's as gays and lesbians developed a special connection with Judy Garland, whose ballads of hope and despair and whose relentless spirit, and tragic history, mirrored their struggles in everyday life. She wasn't the first diva or drama queen, but certainly the one who resonated the most to a generation of gays and lesbians. Garland's most famous role – as the ever-optimistic and wistful Dorothy in the 1939 classic "The Wizard of Oz" – gave gays and lesbians a "secret" code word which they could use to refer to themselves. At gatherings where one could not be comfortably "out and proud," gays would inquire discreetly of each other, "Are you a 'Friend of Dorothy?'"

It's about the appeal "The Wizard of Oz" has for the gay community – the escapism/fantasy, the campiness, and the dark side to sexual desire. The poppies are meant to be super saccharine, and the dark orifice belying what at first seems joyful and naive. (Christian Rieben)

At first sight a depiction of a saccharine landscape or a "Wizard of Oz" scene, Christian Rieben's paintings reveal a further dimension, the dark side to sexual desire. The path, the hole, and the hills allude to human anatomy. Thus the joyful landscape turns into a splendid portrait of derrière, an explicit and not at all metaphorical invitation to discover a land in which all is allowed, somewhere over the rainbow.

CHRISTIAN RIEBEN received his MFA in 2006 from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. His works were shown in numerous exhibitions across the United States. In 2008 ARTexhibitionLink.com showed his paintings at the art fair Berliner Liste in Berlin, he also took part in the ARTexhibitionLink.com's Summer Show at Castello di Santa Severa, Italy. "Friend of Dorothy" is his second show at Gallery UNO in the Fine Arts Building in Chicago.

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