GOD IS IN THE DETAILS In Conjunction with Prospect One - New Orleans Biennial Curated by Glynnis McDaris & Julia Trotta Opening Reception
God is in the Details, curated by Julia Trotta and Glynnis McDaris on the occasion of Prospect 1, New Orleans is a group show of 14 artists who hail from varied geographic backgrounds. The selected pieces in the show find a commonality in each artist’s attempt to control perception by isolating, refining, or obscuring details within their work. Polished and restrained, what is revealed is as significant as what is absent. The cryptic nature of the work addresses themes of isolation, decay, death and the occult. These themes will be magnified within the context of the unique venue: A dramatic, historic (and haunted) Victorian mansion in the Lower Garden District. Artists in the show include Kon Trubkovich, William Stone, Judy Rifka, Jane Rule Burdine, Glynnis McDaris, Liz Goldwyn, Paul Kopkau, Gloria Maximo, Reuben Cox, Joseph Heidecker, Daniel McDonald and Vlatka Horvat. Judy Rifka's "3-D paintings" are mummified fantasies- creatures that fall somewhere between human, monster, or cocoon. Their exteriors are painted in a festive, confetti-like manner. This joyful exterior seems in stark contrast to the macabre suggestions of death, the ritualistic mummification process, or the protective shell of a cocoon. The result is a seeming celebration of life, death, and ritual. Jane Rule Burdine's photographs capture the regional ghosts of her home, the Mississippi Delta. In one photo she shows forgotten checks in a dilapidated office that read "Palmetto Plantation". Here beauty is found in the decadent remnants of a once regal enterprise. In "Blue Room" the viewer is shown an empty interior. The room leads us through a doorway to an empty staircase, and the staircase leads us only to an empty landing. The space, charged with unseen spirits and longing, becomes a visual meditation on repetition and emptiness. Both images speak of times past, introspection, and relics that allude to continued life. William Stone's highly conceptual work deals with semantics of the American lexicon, the speed at which modern day information is exchanged, and the abstraction of time. In his exploration of reality and time, he asks us to pause and linger in his own space for a moment -disconnecting from mass culture's often oppressive interpretations and instead finding space and air in his breathing, elegant sculptures. Liz Goldwyn's piece, a string of delicate vertebrae strung like pearls, is shown down the back of a live nude model, as a wearable Momento Mori. The piece navigates a balance between sculpture and jewelry, strength and vulnerability, interior and exterior, life and death. Goldwyn’s skeleton, like Rifka’s mummy, brings to mind tribal and religious notions of mortality and preservation. Daniel McDonald's piece is the only work in the show that speaks directly to popular culture. His beautifully rendered pencil drawings of the late River Phoenix are poignant funeral portraits. Shown as a trio, the drawings are curiously similar with slight variations in River's face and windswept hair. Only the hand of the artist is used in creating subtle nuances to the facial expressions. This interplay between subject and artist increases the emotional connection for the viewer in these memorial portraits. Vlatka Horvat's video, "Out on a Limb", challenges the notion of strength and balance, and as with Goldwyn’s piece, isolates a body part. We see a single leg of the artist, wavering while trying to stay stable, upright, and presumably hold up the rest of the body, which is outside of the frame. The image, shown in a continuous loop, is both disconcerting and reaffirming in it's shaky strength. Glynnis McDaris' video piece captures the ephemeral energy that lies in the empty streets, atmospheric sounds and seemingly mundane scenes of the city that typically remain in the background. McDaris finds beauty in the quiet calm, highlighting the sound of raindrops, the low noise of chattering TV, or the slow movement of a taxi turning the corner. Similarly, her photograph of shredded, flier remnants memorialize a passage of time, a series of events, that now live in the past. As with Burdine’s check piece, McDaris finds a forgotten paper trail, a stunning abstract composition, with bits of text and numbers barely legible. Using found portraits of anonymous individuals, Joseph Heidecker manipulates, obscures and veils vital visual information, challenging the viewer’s interpretation of reality and perception. Whether reduced to a pair of eyes or shrouded in beads, the faces become melted, scarred, masked and haunted. There is a quiet violence to the work. Ruben Cox’s photographs of billowing smoke are at once elegant and grim. The stunning pastel clouds, with soft swells and ripples are ghostly formations, organic and controlled in the studio setting. The imagery, while isolated, is inextricably linked to bombs, war, and mass disaster. Gloria Maximo’s paintings are an exercise in restraint. Composed of delicate lines and wet pools of nail varnish, the imagery appears to be intentional and on the surface. Yet upon closer inspection, one can find incredible depth within the crimson formations and subtle complexities in the sea of fine lines, a kind of controlled chaos. The title of Paul Kopkau's sculptural installation, “Blue Balls,” is a double entendre, both an overt sexual reference and a literal description of the work, a cluster of blue balls. The balls of various dimensions are wrought with slight imperfections, dents and bruises, rendering them slightly vulnerable. Kon Trubkovich’s watercolor self-portraits are based on video footage that the artist shot and then paused, capturing a moment of near abstraction. The final image, generations removed from the original moment of creation, addresses issues of perception, identity and the passage of time. Trubkovich goes to great lengths to capture every band and distortion from the degraded image, celebrating every unsung flaw. The cryptic work challenges traditional notions of painting and portraiture. The exhibition will be open by appointment through November 5th. To schedule an appointment, or for further information please contact Julia Trotta: julia@fakeestate.us. *Special thanks to Banks McClintock, Jennifer Coolidge, Barbara and Jeff Griffin and Wendy McDaris.
Fake Estate was launched in 2007 by Julia Trotta. The unusually small space, a former utility closet in the West Chelsea Arts Building, will house a series of focused, experimental projects. While some will call for intimate inspection, others will restrict viewers from entering the space. Fake Estate serves as an alternative to the traditional art venue, challenging both the artist and the viewer to think within the very small box. For press inquiries please contact Ricky Lee: Fake Estate|526 West 26th Street|Suite 502A|New York|NY|10001
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