Christopher Rodriguez “Sublime Cultivation”
Curated by Carl Gunhouse
January 25th – February 23
Christopher Rodriguez was born and raised in New Orleans only to end up in Brooklyn, NY. This trajectory, which led to a very particular relationship with nature, starting in an urban setting where history was tragically shaped by its proximity to nature and ending up in a city surrounded by an all but forgotten and neglected nature fringe. In both Brooklyn and New Orleans, nature exists as something that is just out of town, on the edges, waiting to remind residents of its presence. New Orleans is constantly trying to hold back its dangers, while Brooklyn has successfully subdued nature, it has to work hard to keep it alive and viable. This struggle between nature and man’s relationship to it sets the tone for Rodriguez’s current book Sublime Cultivation and the work in To Live And Die In The World.
Christopher Rodriguez “Sublime Cultivation” curated by Carl Gunhouse
Install view from Nip Slips, a group show curated by Evan Roche and Colin Alexander
Artists: Connor Creagan, Margaret Daviet, Alan Resnick, Allie Linn, Flannery Silva, and Kim Westfall
Open weekends from Jan 25-Feb 23, 2014
“The celebrity nip slip is depicted in culture as an elusive gold mine. It is the product of the planned spectacle as well as the unforeseeable accident. As a theatrical event it is characterized by a self-deprecation on the part of the performer and an uncomfortable self-awareness for the audience. It is also characterized by an overall exaggeration of its significance.
This exhibition, presenting the works of six artists from Baltimore, New York and Chicago, considers how the dynamics of the theatricality of “the nip slip” are present in the making of images. What happens when good and bad performance become indistinguishable, when humility and vanity are presented as synonymous, or when the line between drama and melodrama is unclear?”
………………
IN CONVERSATION: LIVING AND SUSTAINING A CREATIVE LIFE
(This event was Thursday, January 23, 2014 at the Hirshhorn)
Internationally recognized artist Jenny Marketou, Washington DC–based artists Patrick McDonough and Jeff Spaulding, and artist and editor Sharon Louden discuss the issues behind Living and Sustaining a Creative Life: Essays by 40 Working Artists, a new book examining how artists juggle their creative lives with the everyday needs of making a living. A Q&A session and a book signing followed the conversation.
