Some people read too much meaning into a work of art. Thats why its dangerous to consider the implications of “Sub-jekt,“ the title of an abstract art show at CBs 313 Gallery in New York. Curator and featured artist Tristan Eaton (a recent “De”-troiter & “New” Yorker) invited our very own Mark Dancey and Ed Sykes to join the show, along with East Coast dwellers Jason Brown and Scott Chester. The show will run through July 14. And from the looks of CBs Web site, “Subjekt” grants each of these guys permission to rearrange their world for 30 days.
The collective group presents 2- and 3-D abstract images in various media. Illustrator Dancey (well-known for his emblematic imagery in Motorbooty magazine) often uses social ignorance and/or injustice as a theme in his pictures. His bold commentary is always set to an extremely ironic tone, and its disarming unsettling for some to realize youre smiling in front of such a vision. Sykes sculptures (one pictured here) look like confused, simple machines. It seems he focuses on the aesthetic of function itself, when its crafted with precision but entirely useless. And in a tech-hungry world of minigadgets replacing pocket protectors … hmmm. In any case, it is hoped that the show will leave New Yorkers curious enough to come up with their own answers.
Rebecca Mazzei is Metro Times arts and culture editor. Send comments to letters@metrotimes.com
This article appears in Jun 28 – Jul 4, 2000.