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The
collage work of Swati Khurana, combines those tow extremes, allowing the
intimacy of line drawings based on childhood photographs of herself to
merge with interiors from Ikea catalogs (and presented in Ikea frames).
This synthesis of the personal and the corporate suggests the deep influence
of a corporate-created lifestyle on our self-images of family.
Luis
Mallo's “In Camera” series of large-format photographs depicting
obstructions suggest an urban sensibility of disconnectedness between
product and detritus. Zoe Saldana Sheehan's recreations of Walmart clothing
and Amy Chan's gouaches on paper of chain stores “infected“
by bird's nests allow subjectivity to seep into the seemingly impenetrable
facade of corporate culture. Hannes Priesch's text paintings twist the
language of war to a language of resistance and individuality. Erik Richard
Parra's drawn and collaged portraits of Eisenhower at the easel undermine
the image of the General with that of a “Sunday painter.” Donna
Alberico's photos of truckers in their nomadic environments of booze and
unhealthy lifestyles share Jana Williams' sense of intimacy, though here
a predominately male subculture replaces the individual. In relation to
the other work this seems a potent, though self-destructive, response
to official culture.
Corporate Bodies is part of Project Diversity, a multi-venue exhibition
of 200 Brooklyn artists at 16 Brooklyn galleries, a project that spans
an array of Brooklyn galleries, arts organizations and cultural institutions.
To be held April-May 2005, the event will unite audiences and artists
across lines of ethnicity, gender, age and neighborhood. The project will
also celebrate Brooklyn's ethnic diversity, cultural vision and cutting-edge
style. Many of the exhibitions will be held from April 29-May 30, while
others will open earlier in April.
Free shuttle bus service will be provided April 30-May 1, May 7-8, and
May 14-15, from 11am-5pm each day. Project Diversity was conceived by
artist and Brooklyn gallery owner Danny Simmons, cofounder of Rush Philanthropic
Arts Foundation, and developed in partnership with the borough's key cultural
leaders. "It's time that segregation within the art communities comes
to an end, and that gallery owners everywhere open their spaces to artists
of any color, gender or ethnicity," said Mr. Simmons." Brooklyn
is at the center of that movement, and these artists and galleries have
joined together to emphasize this point. We will also leverage the exhibitions
to increase visitor traffic across neighborhood boundaries to promote
economic development."
Project Diversity 's curatorial committee of Brooklyn arts professionals
selected work by 200 Brooklyn artists from nearly 600 entries, then created
16 distinct exhibitions that incorporate all visual media. Shows will
be held at BAM, Brooklyn Borough Hall, Clinton Hill Simply Arts, Danny
Simmons' Corridor Gallery, ElevenTen Gallery, George Washington Carver
Gallery @The Magnolia Tree Earth Center, Kentler International Drawing
Space, MoCADA, Momenta Art, Pratt Institute, Red Clay Arts @The Skylight
Gallery, RonGio Gallery, Rotunda Gallery, Sputnik Visual Art Gallery,
Tabla Rasa Gallery, and Tastes Like Chicken Art Space.
"Brooklyn is a magnet for artists and arts organizations from around
the world, and that artistic vitality makes our borough thrive,"
said Ella J. Weiss, president of the Brooklyn Arts Council, one of the
event's guiding forces. "Project Diversity is a great showcase for
our community."
Additional Project Diversity collaborators include the Brooklyn Museum,
which will host a free Artists Talk on May 8 th, from 2-4pm; the Heart
of Brooklyn, and the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President.
"Brooklyn artists produce works that reflect our status as the cultural
capital of New York City and as the most diverse city in America,"
said Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. "We're thrilled
that Project Diversity will introduce Brooklyn artists to one another,
while shining a light on our burgeoning gallery scene.".
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