identity expression @ gallery project
Gallery Project is a an exhibition space that tries to push the boundaries and has had some well executed and focused shows. Its current show, "Identity Expression," (a broad subject to choose as a theme) felt somewhat disconnected in its curation - maybe because of the open subject matter. It's not that the works couldn't be linked to "identity," it's just that they all seemed to be at different levels - all trying to communicate something entirely different in comparison to the tightly curated and themed shows of the past. Gallery Project likes to pack in a lot of work for shows, but when the artwork feels disjointed, the exhibition falls short. Not to say there weren't gems, they were just harder to spot, which can be compared to looking at art in an art fair atmosphere where anything and everything goes. I thought the downstairs installation space by Dennis Jones was the most artistically cohesive and I was able to take the time to dive into the subject matter and intent. His works reminded me a little of the works by Dan Colen in the last Whitney Biennial. I also enjoyed the photographs by Marilyn Zimmerman and the large floor-to-ceiling piece by Gloeckner titled "I Kill Dogs."
mona shahid
nicole parker
sabrina nelson
phoebe gloeckner
taurus burns
shaque kalaj
joe namy
karen sanders
marilyn zimmerman
jennifer linton
dennis jones - Toyland, mixed media installation (all below)
mona shahid
nicole parker
sabrina nelson
phoebe gloeckner
taurus burns
shaque kalaj
joe namy
karen sanders
marilyn zimmerman
jennifer linton
dennis jones - Toyland, mixed media installation (all below)
posted by art blogs are fun at 9:12 PM
5 Comments:
I find it interesting that you thought the show "felt somewhat disconnected in its curation " and I don't agree or disagree- it's just that when I went to the Gallery project to see Miss October (which I thought was a pretty tightly unified show) the guy said that people spent very little time looking at it and he blamed it on the fact that it was SO tight and unified that perhaps viewers felt they 'got the gist' of the show immediately. It begs the question of balance between being a one liner show (not implying that I thought Miss October was a one liner. I thought the show was wonderful) and a schizophrenic show.
I was also a big fan of the Dennis Jones installation downstairs. It reminded me of Paul McCarthy without being quite as grotesque. The sculptures and application of paint especially relate to McCarthy.
a far-too-large segment of this work felt student-level at best.
"identity expression" is among the worst, most cliche themes for a show I have ever heard.
gallery project has been on the downslope for a little bit now. I hope it comes back somehow.
sidenote: why do they (almost?) always have group shows? I can't remember the last one/two/three person show.
"sidenote: why do they (almost?) always have group shows? I can't remember the last one/two/three person show."
That's my only real problem with this gallery. I love the basement because it so often is deligated to one artist. At times the back room is too. But honestly solo shows or very tightly organized group shows (in which a small group hangs all the work) would make the whole experience so much stronger.
I understand the desire to showcase a lot of talent, but even then the talent is often lacking in more than a few of the artists and fairly often one can count on seeing some of the same artists' work three months in a row.
They really need to focus on the importance of editing.
hey, those little guys in Dennis Jones installation reminds me of the forest gods from Hayao Miyazaki's animated film, "Princess Mononoke"
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