LESLIE LASKEY: S.E.N.T.
September 9 – October 15, 2011
Opening Reception: Friday, September 9, from 6 to 9 pm
WOP Space: Kelley Johnson: Works on Paper Series
Front Room: MoPA: Retrospective
Media Room: William Morris: Atraxia
Public Hours: Wednesday through Saturday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Bruno David Gallery opens the fall season with an exhibition of new work by Leslie Laskey called S.E.N.T. Security Envelopes Now Tampered. After seeing these collages, the viewer will never look at their mail in the same way again. The works that make up S.E.N.T. challenge the viewer to question their previously held ideas about the objects they throw away on a daily basis. Laskey opens the audience’s eyes to a range of materials, objects and discoveries. Composed of security envelopes, this new series brings to light the different patterns used for the insides of envelopes that, with Laskey’s artistic vision, morph into fascinating and energetic pieces. Infinitely varied, the S.E.N.T. series becomes an exposition of the colors, shapes, and patterns of envelopes. A fully illustrated catalogue with essays by Jim Harris and Megan Vallowe accompanies the exhibit.
With the beginning of our Sixth Season, the gallery is pleased to open a new space called WOP Space. In the WOP Space we are pleased to present Kelley Johnson’s most recent work titled Works on Paper Series. Johnson’s ability to absorb the viewer, produce interesting color combinations, and provide a sense of rapidity and tension are carried over from previous work to these new pieces. What makes Johnson’s new works on paper unique and exciting are the ways in which those similar ideas from before are presented in a much more minimalist fashion. Through vibrant colors and swift, almost chaotic brushstrokes juxtaposed with harsh, geometric lines, Johnson is able to produce a world that captivates and engages the viewer. A fully
In the Front Room the gallery presents a retrospective of the first seven years of the Museum of Pocket Art (MoPA). MoPA began in response to author Walter Mosley’s idea that everyone should carry a small piece of artwork in their pocket to brighten their day and share with others. MoPA organizes exhibitions to show in a standard wallet with artwork made specifically to exhibit at a small scale, usually about the size of a business card. The wallet/exhibition circulates from artist to artist for a period of a few months creating a one to one person traveling exhibition.
The exhibition MoPA: Retrospective will include over 100 artists who had participated since the first MoPA exhibition including Jeremy Morgan, Amy Elligson, Mario Trejo, Eric Shultis, Robert Jackson Harrington, Josh Keller, Hannah Piper Burns, Donna J Wan, and Jan Bythe.
In the Media Room, the gallery presents a new video work by William Morris. The video titled Atraxia illustrates the relationship of a running man to a ringing telephone and its physiological result. The running man symbolizes one’s own anxiety; the expectations of performance upon a subject influenced by external stresses. Like the dog in Pavlov’s behavioral experiments, the running man hears and reacts to external stimuli. The end animation depicts the effect of the stimulus on the body, in which a direct path between the brain and the digestive system is shown.
