Bearable Lightness. . .Likeness
June 25—October 9, 2006
P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center is pleased to present the group exhibition Bearable Lightness...Likeness that features the work of seven emerging artists. While the title alludes to the well-known 1984 novel The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera, this exhibition focuses on a literal lightness of materials and engages the tradition of abstraction. Bearable Lightness...Likeness is on view in the Second Floor Mini-Kunsthalle Gallery from June 25 through October 9, 2006.
The abstract, ethereal work of these young artists is rooted in popular culture, design, fashion, color theory, and other modes of expression. In this way, abstraction is not pure, but informed by personal and societal concerns. Rather than employing traditional or found materials with symbolic value, the artists appropriate from diverse sources including industrial materials and commercial packaging like clear tape, hot glue, and plastics. Emphasizing sensuality, process, and humor, the artists display a healthy optimism for the past and present history of art, while staking a claim to the future.
Featured artists include Suzanne Broughel (b. 1962, lives and works in New York, NY); Louis Cameron (b. 1973, lives and works in Brooklyn, NY); Michele Kong (b. 1975, lives and works in Baltimore, MD); Sungmi Lee (b. 1977, lives and works in Brooklyn, NY); Todd Pavlisko (b. 1974, lives and works in Chicago, IL); Milton Rosa-Ortiz (b. 1967, lives and works in Brooklyn, NY); and Cory Wagner (b. 1977, lives and works in Baltimore, MD and New York, NY).
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Sungmi Lee
Re-Birth
2005
Packing tape, push pins, and monofilament with oil-based ink on Mylar
Dimensions variable
Courtesy the artist
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Milton Rosa-Ortiz
GULA (Gluttony: From the 7 Deadly Sins Series)
2004
Sugar cubes, seed beads, monofilament, and support structure
30 x 18″ diam.
Courtesy the artist
Bearable Lightness...Likeness is organized by P.S.1 Curatorial Advisor Franklin Sirmans.