POKER NIGHT
Greg Miller, Jay Kelly, John Garrett, Tim McCarthy, and Jai Hall
July 19 - August 16, 2008
Reception Saturday, July 26, 7-10pm
VENICE, CA-Commissary Arts is pleased to announce Poker Night,   a group show with works by Greg Miller, Jay Kelly, Tim McCarthy, John Garrett, and Jai Hall. For nearly a decade, these Los Angeles based artists and creative individuals have come together regularly to partake in the quintessentially American male ritual, “Poker Night.” The game itself is not the subject, but rather the event to bring together the work of five diverse creative individuals and explore their varied approaches to synthesizing media, pop culture, and urban environments in their work. With “a chip and a chair,” each player comes to the table.

Veteran   LA artist Greg Miller draws upon classic American icons of the 1950s and 60s to create his collage and resin paintings. Integrating fragmented photographic imagery, familiar objects, and celebrated novels, Miller juxtaposes word and image in layered and worked painted surfaces that suggest memory and the loss of innocence. Miller has created a selection of small works especially for this exhibition.

Jay Kelly also combines word and image to evoke narratives in his work.  Inspired by the Los Angeles landscape, specifically Venice, Kelly blends his own photographs with painted and collaged surfaces organized around a concept or emotion. His work is a fusion of rawness and polish reminding the viewer that beauty can be found in unexpected places and in everyday encounters.

For Tim McCarthy, collage happens in the camera. Often shooting from the hip, his photographs of street scenes or tabletop assemblages explore the constant interleaving of visual information in daily life. McCarthy distills these views into quiet observations revealing the drama of the moment and the beauty of the found object.

John Garrett’s work explores idea of remnants and accidental artifacts, the object brought into a state of isolated suspension. For this show, an empty costume archived and displayed as a historic object becomes the physical remains and a painterly expression of an event long passed.

Jai Hall draws upon his work as a graphic designer to delve into the stream of visual information permeating popular culture. His work weaves text and image with media influences such as advertising and film.

A reception for the artists will be held on Saturday, July 26, 2008 from 7 to 10pm. The exhibition will be on view until August 16, 2008. The gallery is located at 68 N. Venice Boulevard, Venice, CA 90291.

Commissary Arts
68 N. Venice Blvd., Venice, CA 90291
Director, Robin McCarthy
310-990-9914

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...

Related Post

• Upcoming Exhibition: Nancy Macko at Commisary Arts