Projects Gallery did something unique for their current exhibition. Instead of choosing 25 artists for a summer group show, they chose five and asked them to each pick five more. The show’s fate rested on networking.
This is not the first-ever artists-choose-artists exhibit, however the quantity — the idea of 5 choosing 5 — is different. The selections by Distort, Conor Fields, Ashley Flynn, Brooke Holloway and Mia Rosenthal (all previous exhibitors at the gallery) create five distinct groups free of set themes or guidelines, and yet somehow the whole is balanced and harmonious.
Sculptures, paintings, photography, video, mixed media and even stained-glass are on display. Yet, despite each work’s unique style, there is cohesion throughout due to bright colors that unify and bring energy to the show.
Anthony Vega’s Reproduction/Milk and Honey (Shoes), for example, with it bright oranges, dark reds and pinks, broadcasts a palette that is echoed elsewhere.
Sarah Kate Burgess’ Cup as Ring works are delicate and beautiful forms that speak to the redefining of everyday objects as something new — an underlying theme in other works as well–for example, Distort’s War, which parodies the “Tide” detergent logo, or Dustin Metz’s painting Still Life (not shown) which appropriates Warhol’s Marilyn as a still life object (her image is on the cover of a book in Metz’s still life).
Some other notable works are T.F. Dutchman’s work, Cooter, a stained glass light box depicting a man with his bike and Ashley Flynn’s sobering mixed media work, Dad in His Casket, whose colorful highlights and misleading perspective veil a mournful reality.
The gallery staff did not know what the show would look like until the works arrived. That is a bold position for a gallery to willingly walk into. But, it worked!
Show on display till June 26th
Gallery Hours:
Thursday and Friday 4-7 p.m.
Saturday noon to 7 p.m.
