|
opens Friday August 11th 6-9pm |
|
|
|
"In this culture of fear - and fantasy - we are being fed a steady diet of anticipation. What will tomorrow bring? Will something terrible happen? Or will forces beyond my control magically descend and fix my life?" |
|
|
|
Curator Alix Sloan (former director at L.A.'s La Luz De Jesus) has always been fascinated by work with a sense of mystery and anticipation, the feeling that one doesn’t know what’s really happening or what is about to happen. From Edvard Munch to Edward Hopper to John Currin, figurative painters have long been exploring this powerful mood. In recent years Ms. Sloan has observed, in the works of various artists across a wide range of media, both blatantly or subtly expressed, what she views as an increasingly heightened sense of foreboding, an undercurrent of tension. With this exhibition she questions if that phenomenon isn’t simply the artists’ documentation of our time. |
MaDora Frey |
|
|
|
|
Curator's Statement: In this culture of fear - and fantasy - we are being fed a steady diet of anticipation. What will tomorrow bring? Will something terrible happen? Will forces beyond my control magically descend and fix my life? Or destroy it? Child molesters. Serial killers. True love. Terrorists. Terminal illness. Natural disasters. The Lotto. Horror, hope and mixed messages barrage us incessantly and perpetuate a palpable state of apprehension. Even those who choose to live with their heads in the sand about the environment, economy or politics, are on the edge of their seats waiting to find out: Who Will Be America’s Next Top Model? |
|
|
|
It’s been said that too few contemporary artists are creating art with a message relevant to our time. I disagree. Art reflects its time. As I view work in a variety of media by an assortment of artists, I’m aware of an increasing sense of foreboding, an undercurrent of tension; which strikes me as one of the most relevant, and honest, commentaries one could make. With Undertow I wanted to address this feeling directly by exploring the moment in time when a narrative is about to change, or is changing, that feeling of anticipation, be it real or imagined, fearful or joyous, internal or explosive. The works in this exhibition are more than well-crafted, thoughtful paintings. They are an historical record, visual documentation of the tension and uncertainty of our age. -- Alix Sloan |
Marion Peck |
|
|
