Three artists address the effects of our internet/media information driven culture in visually stimulating ways. Australian Michael Staniak’s “Anytime, Anywhere” includes bronze sculptures, 3D wall reliefs and paintings that add up to a bold, geometric and visually mesmerizing series of works. Whether observing the bright colors of his acrylic paintings or the literally and figuratively weighty heft of his sculptures, Staniak’s process-oriented work demands multiple viewings to absorb.
Also from Australia is Nyah Isabel Cornish, whose “House of Cards” is her U.S. debut. The vivid palettes of her oil-on-board works and her kaleidoscopic patterns are inspired by Abstract Expressionism, even as she looks to reflect upon the view-and-swipe encounters with visual images online. Seeking as she says the point between “balance and chaos,” Cornish creates vibrant, swirling works that pulls the eye into a visual maelstrom.
New York-based Ryder Ripps exhibits fifty-thousand (you read that right) small photographs on shallow platforms and obelisks. Viewers can interact with the images by walking or sitting on these platforms. The use of such a high volume of minute images creates a mosaic-like effect that is part monument, part defiance of our celebrity-obsessed, attention-demanding, often vengeful culture. The title of this riveting piece, “Barbara Lee” refers to the only member of Congress to vote against the use of force following the 9/11 attacks.
