The Rule of Typical Things

Featuring David Ambrose, Reed Anderson, Thomas Campbell, Chris Corales, Jim Gaylord, Seth Koen, Jake Longstreth, Aaron Parazette, Mel Prest, Jovi Schnell, Sarah Walker, Alan Wiener, Will Yackulic

January 7 – February 20, 2010

Gregory Lind Gallery is pleased to present The Rule of Typical Things, a group show that features the new work of artists David Ambrose, Reed Anderson, Thomas Campbell, Chris Corales, Jim Gaylord, Seth Koen, Jake Longstreth, Aaron Parazette, Mel Prest, Jovi Schnell, Sarah Walker, Alan Wiener, and Will Yackulic. The title (a phrase coined by writer Dan Gardner) refers to the idea that objects and concepts which usually go together always go together, and that we instinctively make judgments based on what we may unconsciously deem to be typical. Similarly, while the assembled artists may not directly share a common raison d’etre, interlocking themes appear and reappear from one work to the next, suggesting a clear sequence of visions and ideas. The assembled artists work to recalibrate viewer perception and reconcile seemingly disparate figures and objects through a particular attention to form and material.

Works in watercolor, gouache, India ink, acrylic, oil, aquaresin, and common materials such as thread and found objects all to render imagery that alludes to both the material world and the abstract realm of ideas encompassing everything from science to linguistics. Artists like Jovi Schnell and Sarah Walker work in distinct ways that fuse systems and structures to create multi-layered pieces that point to the interconnection between all phenomena, while David Ambrose and Reed Anderson render elements of printmaking and the retinal charge of pattern making in their collage work on pierced and cut paper, respectively. Mel Prest’s sculptural paintings utilize monochromatic lines and void spaces to create compelling optical puzzles, while Aaron Parazette’s geometric paintings embody the dense world of signs that cluster urban landscapes and merge the territory between the tactile and imagined, along with the material and mechanical aspects of painting. Chris Corales and Seth Koen also embody a vibrant flirtation with the figurative—using materials such as thread and wood (Koen) and found objects (Corales) to evoke a startling yet familiar reorganization of physical space. Alan Wiener’s aquaresin sculptures are elegant, modular pieces that point to an organic process suggestive of both mechanized processes and complex cellular forms. The exhibition will also include a piece by artist Thomas Campbell, best known as one of the Beautiful Losers, the bicoastal movement of artists who derive inspiration from elements of street culture such as graffiti and skateboarding.