Shape-shifters > Alfadena Gallery
Wednesday, May 21st, 2008
Remnants of Digested Culture Re-Purposed in
Shape Shifters
Presented by the Contemporary Arts Council
Curated by Jason Foumberg
May 23-July 3, 2008
Opening reception May 23, 5pm-8pm. Performance at 7pm.
Chicago — Alfedena Gallery is pleased to host the Contemporary Arts Council’s 14th annual show of emerging artists, Shape-shifters, curated by critic Jason Foumberg. There will be an opening reception for the artists on Friday, May 23rd from 5-8 pm. A performance to be held in the gallery by artist Brian Getnick the evening of the reception will start at 7 pm. The exhibition is free and open to the public.
Like a whale’s vacuum-suck mouth that efficiently consumes the ocean, we too devour our surrounds. The art objects in Shape-shifters are remnants of digested culture, re-shaped and re-purposed. Olympiad bodies, zombies, household gods, and urban myths: by holding many pieces of culture in balance inside us, we become a conglomerate body—an animate spawn of the culture that nourishes us.
Mike Andrews’ sculptural materials include foam, knitted yarn, ceramic, plastic tubing and more. Reed Barrow presents two sculptures, a ghost and a wolf-man, respectively. Brian Getnick’s performance activated sculpture will come to life at the opening reception. Sarah Hicks’ interchangeable ceramic sculptures reinterpret the knick-knack idiom. Chris Kerr lives joyously in a world populated by zombies, ghosts, and witches. Elliot Layda thrusts and contorts his body with krump-style dancing. Josh Mannis is the master of immortal arts. Samia Mirza’s character sculptures live fantastical lives. Melissa Pokorny marries found objects to deduce their irrational destinies. Mindy Rose Schwartz awakens the living-dead by feeding them treasure.
Jason Foumberg is art editor at Newcity.
This is the Contemporary Arts Council’s 14th annual exhibition of new and emerging Chicago-based artists. In order to support contemporary art and artists in Chicago, to seek out the new and valuable, and to foster the insight and enjoyment that good art provides, the Contemporary Arts Council works each year with an independent curator to flesh out his or her idea.
A catalog in the form of an exquisite corpse game is available with essays by Jesse Ball, Reed Barrow, Elijah Burgher, Jason Foumberg, Brian Getnick, and Dan Gleason.
Alfedena Gallery is located at 434 W. Ontario in Chicago. Gallery hours: Tuesday - Friday, 10am - 6pm. Saturday, 10am - 5pm. For more information contact gallery director John Brunetti, 312.944.4340, john@alfedenagallery.com.
