Transmogrification
June 21 - July 16, 2017
Opening Reception June 21 6:30-9:30pm
This is a last minute pop up show I curated with Panos Papamichael in Long Island City. It was the first time meeting Panos but we hit it off really well and put together an amazing show. The show was at 2320 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City from June 21st – July 16th 2017
You can check out the review of the show by Lauren Amalia Redding here
You can also find all the works in the show here: http://paintanyway.com/?p=1445
There was a live performance by Brad Craig at the opening:
Repurposing a commercial Long Island City space to exhibit the work of twenty-six realist artists, Transmogrification is the embodiment of the brave new world that is contemporary realism. This newer, more inclusive brand of realism offers a virtual melting pot of subject matter: urban landscapes, gritty interiors, opulent still lives, painted and sculpted figures, scenes of nature and of war. Curated by artists Tun Myaing and Panos Papamichael, Transmogrification boasts an array of realist works as diverse as Long Island City itself, paying homage to its evolving landscape by featuring works that exemplify cultural and temporal change.
Transmogrification celebrates Long Island City’s industrial past and ever-dwindling industrial present. Neil Plotkin’s atmospheric Queensboro Plaza is inspired by the iconic L.I.C. subway station landmark, and is echoed by Jon De Martin’s luminous Golden Rails, a depiction of an industrial railyard from Anytown, U.S.A. Like the metamorphoses of so many other New York neighborhoods, Long Island City’s gentrification has been incubated in the cocoon of the artist enclave. Myaing’s own 5 Pointz labyrinth series is of lushly painted interiors depicting the basement rooms of the once iconic L.I.C. artist haven, revealing that they had been as adorned with graffiti tags as its famous facade. Before its demolition in 2014, the 5 Pointz building offered its exterior as a sanctioned canvas for graffiti artists and its interior as affordable studio spaces. Now, it is a glossy condominium complex. Compounding the loss of 5 Pointz studios was the whitewashing of its eclectic exterior, a commonplace urban chore deftly captured by fellow exhibiting artist Alex Smith in his oil painting, First Coat. Smith and Myaing’s works document spaces on the cusp of transformation, giving viewers a chance to absorb and appreciate the process in a rare moment of stasis.
The eclectic show also focuses on the ebb and flow of emotion and the human condition. Brett F. Harvey and Michael Aviano each lend their considerable talents to addressing male psychology in a time when masculinity has become increasingly complex. Using classical Greco-Roman ideals as inspiration, Harvey imbues his male nudes with a sense of vulnerability that offsets their heroic proportions. Harvey’s world is one where powerful male figures are allowed to display emotional fragility alongside physical strength without apology. At the other end of the spectrum, Aviano’s masterful oil sketch, Cain, depicts the biblical figure brazenly challenging the almighty himself with his unbridled defiance on full display. By pitting confidence against sensitivity, these artists carve out a space in which to reexamine modern society’s contradictory expectations of masculinity.
As our surroundings and social order continually evolve, we look to artists to reflect and interpret the changing values and standards of our time. If the continual influx of museums, galleries and artist studios to L.I.C. is any indication, art and artists remain an essential touchstone of modern society. Transmogrification is an invitation to experience the diversity of thought and message contained within a carefully curated slice of contemporary realist artists, as exhibited within a space emblematic of unceasing social and urban flux.
Review by Lauren Amalia Redding
Participating artists:
Michael Aviano, Daniel Bilodeau, Dina Brodsky, Neilson Carlin, Brad Craig, Jon DeMartin, Matthew Durante, Natalie Featherston, Angela Gram, Brett F Harvey, Yunsung Jang, Liz Adams Jones, Marshall Jones, Kendall Klingbeil, Will Kurtz, Michael Meadors, Livia A Mosanu, Tun Myaing, Panos Papamichael, Neil Plotkin, Christopher Pugliese, James Raczkowski, Simón Ramirez, Beatrice Scaccia, Alex Smith, Jorge Vascano
Website: http://paintanyway.com/?p=1445