Evanston-based artist James Deeb hopes his "Night and the Lonely Report" haunts its viewers well after they've completed viewing his exhibit.

"If I make an art object, I want it to be able to have a lifespan where a viewer keeps coming back to it," he said.

"Even if somebody bought a piece, they can come back to it over the course of many, many years and find something new in it."

Celebrating his exhibit with a reception today at Hammond's Substation No. 9, Deeb was reared in Mishawaka. He received a bachelor's degree in fine arts from Indiana University in South Bend and went on to receive a master's in painting from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo.

For inspiration, Deeb cites Egyptian and Gothic art as primary influences.

"Those two forms of art are representational, where you can tell what they're trying to depict but, at the same time, there's a lot of visual clues where they're trying to show you something that isn't in the real world," he said.

"There's a subtext in some Egyptian art where they're taking about the supernatural world, and in Gothic art, a lot of times they're talking about the supernatural as well as altered states of consciousness."

Over the years, Deeb has shown his work at juried, solo and group shows at venues such as Indiana University and at the South Bend Regional Museum of Art.

But after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, he laid low from exhibiting.

Deeb's exhibit at Substation No. 9 marks his return to showcasing his work in his own right. He returned to the gallery world last year when he submitted a piece for South Shore Arts' salon show.

"After the 9/11 tragedy, I don't think people could take the tone (of the paintings) and didn't know how to take the work," he said.

"Recently, it just seemed like the right time to get back and try to exhibit again -- it's exciting and a little nerve-wracking."

Deeb is exhibiting 14 paintings in "Report," most of which were created during 2008. The pieces range in size from 11-by-17 inches yo as tall as 7 feet.

For more information on Deeb, go to jamesdeeb.com.

"The Night and the Lonely Report" is on display at Substation No. 9 through Nov. 15.