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JESSICA MURRAY PROJECTS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Jessica Murray Projects is pleased to announce About Face, an exhibition of sculpture, video, painting, digital photography and performance by artists who explore portraiture in unorthodox ways. Ben Beaudoin, Ralph Bourque, Susan Daboll, Carrie Dashow, Brady Dollarhide, David McMurray and Stephanie Patton all employ some device of removal from their sitter creating incomplete and unsettling descriptions of themselves and others. In all the works, the viewer's imagination is required to finish the picture of the unseen sitter. This exhibition will open with a reception on Friday, March 15 from 6-9 PM. Gallery hours are Friday through Sunday, 12- 6 PM. About Face will run through April 21 (closed Easter weekend). For About Face, Susan Daboll has created two photographic portraits, one of herself and one of her husband. In both she digitally manipulates their bodies and faces to the point of complete abstraction. The result, ghost-like images of architectural passages, produces a visual metaphor for the evolution of relationships. In another twist on self-portraiture, Ralph Bourque continues an investigation of his long-term obsession with Stevie Nicks. He presents the celebrity's old prescription pill bottle, a rock from her yard (edition of 10), and a watercolor by Stevie dedicated to the artist. While offering a portrait of this rock legend, Bourque's final exploration is of his own adolescent love and fantasy relationship with the star. In Stephanie Patton's comic performance act, she also looks at the disparity between everyday life and stardom through her portrayal of Renella Rose Champagne, an aspiring country music star. With Ben Beaudoin's giant neon hair follicle sculptures, the artist only provides cartoonish evidence of his sitters. Split ends, grown out dye jobs, and punk cuts all provide a starting point for the description of age, class and lifestyle. In Brady Dollarhide's paintings, the artist replaces the sitter all together. Made like 60s photographs with white borders, Dollarhide's portrait paintings capture trees as stand-ins for his mother, ex-girlfriend and best friend. Carrie Dashow also investigates portraits of intimate relationships in her video footage of people describing those they love and hate. The viewer is left to interpret the reality of the absent person through her subject's biased descriptions. While David McMurray's roped together multiple head sculptures recall political puppets exploring peopleís identity as an amalgamation of others thoughts and actions. Jessica Murray Projects, located at 210 North 6th Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is housed in a renovated 19th century garage. Programming includes solo and curated exhibitions of work in all media by emerging artists, drawing room presentations, publications and other events. For more information, please contact Jessica Murray at info@jessicamurrayprojects.com or 718.384.9606. |
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