November 9‐December 1, 2019
Reception Saturday, November 9, 2pm‐6pm
travel light
curated by Reilly Davidson
Mimi Bahk
Savy Dean
Shay Gallager
Kyle Wainwright
If I could live again - I will travel light
-Jorge Luis Borges
This show is first and foremost about comradery. The artists have been involved in an ongoing dialogue with one another regarding theme, place, materials. The group chat is flowing with photos, quotations, random spurts of inspiration. I believe that there is an imperative to create a community, and to open doors from artist to artist, person to person, and so on. The essential spirit of this show is creating a place which emulates new frontiers, new beginnings, new connections.
The title comes from a Jorge Luis Borges poem, "Instants," which illuminates the concept of reincarnation and life-building. The poem centers around an imagined existence, one which could be constructed simply by the assumption of an alternative life. The configuration of identity is a sordid affair, one which calls into question notions of inner world versus outer world, and the marrying of the two. Each artist is new to the city (at least in terms of permanent residence) and so the urge to establish a new sense of self is an imperative. This is a display of "coming to terms" with newness, situation, and the individual as well as the collective.
Mimi Bahk investigates the intersections between tech, materiality, and textiles. Her robotic objects gesture towards solidarity in an effort to combat notions of coldness associated with certain technologies. Her work therefore forces the viewer to consider humanness and connection. The interactions between Bahk's objects inform sentiments of collectivity and vulnerability.
Savy Dean (in her own words:)
'feelin you, on my soul. RIGHT NOW
there somethin i'm 'sposed to know?'
I moved here 6 months ago from Chicago. I decided to move to NY a week before I graduated. I packed my car up and drove here. On a whim. Instinct maybe. Compulsion. Curiosity. I found a way to approach making in much the same way. Not knowing the why or what until I follow it. Material explorations that find punctuation in process.
When it's shared, the rest of the world bleeds in and changes my own understandings.
Shay Galla's work projects the artist's exploration of place. Building a sense of self in relation to one's surroundings- people, places, objects. She recently graduated from RISD, with an innate focus on fashion design. Having grown up in the city, Shay celebrates a return to the place she calls home. She references situation in her own terms- frequenting 99 cent stores and indulging in the tacky luxe qualities of commodity culture.
"I am a true collector of nothing in particular. On my days off I chug coffee and go to the 99 cent store, hunting for useless treasures. I'm a real sucker for material things - especially synthetic flowers and teddy bears holding hearts that say, 'I love you.'
My making is an exploration of the innate attraction I feel to material things - although in this pleasure-centric process of creating I am not looking for answers <3" -SG
Kyle Wainwright explored what it means to surround oneself with physical objects. Through the process of collecting, she constructs her own world replete with small trinkets and other commodities. She takes inspiration from dentist office treasure chests, Zoo Tycoon, Spore, character objects, Magic: the Gathering cards, and things deemed "useless." Kyle plays with material and employs a tactile creative process.
"I think about Avatar creating and world building in games-moving through worlds with customized personas." -KW
