Micah Daw, Paul Rentler and Aaron Troyer share little in common conceptually, but their work fits together remarkably well in the "Fresh Meat" exhibit at the Mahan Gallery.

A raw urgency runs through the show, whose artists grapple with the psychological complexities of contemporary life.

Hinting at notions of shelter and environmental collapse, Daw creates dysfunctional campsites. In every scene, a geometric structure resembles a pop-up dome tent. With simple shapes and colors of warm and cool gray, the pieces exude a foreboding presence.

Dream House is an ominous vision of the American dream and a challenge to consider the effect of consumption. In a simple structure surrounded by a barren landscape, Daw suggests that home can be both a shelter from, and a threat to, the environment.

Fort Friends, with its brighter colors, seems more hopeful. But, above the campsite, a dark cloud has formed.

Rentler's appropriation of pop culture is campy and fun. An uncertain narrative is under way in Back to Back; surely the evil character Skeletor is up to no good.

Like a filter for the daily flood of bombarding imagery, Rentler seems to be in a constant state of free association. Drawings such as Free Deer suggest random thoughts captured and examined but never quite understood.

A fabricator of imaginary worlds, Troyer creates elaborate mixed-media paintings that are like complex seek-and-find games. Using something like the automatic-drawing technique practiced by the surrealists, he allows abstract marks to become recognizable structures, creatures and environments.

The Phoenix vs. the Giant Worms presents a battle of epic proportions. Neapolitan Mountain, with its bright sun and verdant landscape, is a utopian vision of a perfect society.

Daw, Rentler and Troyer respond to external and internal forces, delving into a contemporary psyche. It will be a treat to watch the development of these young, emerging artists.

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• "Fresh Meat" continues through Sept. 26 in the Mahan Gallery, 717 N. High St. Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Call 614-294-3278 or visit www.mahan gallery.com.