August 29–September 29, 2012
Reception: Thursday, Sep. 6, 6–8pm
Visual Arts Gallery
601 West 26 Street, 15th floor
New York City
T 212 592 2145
School of Visual Arts (SVA) presents Myths & Realities, an exhibition that brings together 16 notable alumni who create powerful visual narratives that reflect a shared interest in exploring the porous boundary between actuality and illusion and in deconstructing the innate strangeness of the everyday. The artists in the exhibition engage two centuries of popular culture, from archaic formats like the pinhole camera and daguerreotype to the museum diorama and wide-screen Hollywood film with resulting works that are potent reminders of how images can reshape perceived reality. Co-curated by New York Times Magazine Director of Photography Kathy Ryan and VII Magazine Editor Scott Thode, Myths & Realities will be on view at the Visual Arts Gallery, 601 West 26 Street, 15th floor, New York City, from August 29–September 29, 2012.
Participating artists include: Brendan Austin, Kevin Cooley, Debbie Grossman, Sean Hemmerle, Ina Jang, Simen Johan, Noah Kalina, Mark Kessell, Justine Kurland, Dinh Q. Lê, Jeff Chien-Hsing Liao, Vera Lutter, Domingo Milella, Matthew Pillsbury, Aïda Ruilova and Collier Schorr.
While some of the artists in Myths and Realities consciously twist reality, others employ a heightened realism through which images transcend their times and places of origin. Commenting on the through line between them Ryan says, “They make careful decisions about just how far to go with their playfulness and with their reinvention of the real.”
The exhibition will be accompanied by a full-color catalog with essay by independent critic Michael Wilson, former editor at Art in America and Artforum.
The Visual Arts Gallery, located at 601 West 26 Street between 11th and 12th Avenues, 15th floor, is open Monday through Saturday, 10am to 6pm; closed on Sundays and public holidays. Admission is free.
School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City is an established leader and innovator in the education of artists. From its inception in 1947, the faculty has been comprised of professionals working in the arts and art-related fields. SVA provides an environment that nurtures creativity, inventiveness and experimentation, enabling students to develop a strong sense of identity and a clear direction of purpose.
