October 13 - November 14, 2009
the ruins of rationality
Paintings by Joshua Hogan and Blown and Altered Glass by Adam Kenney
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Dyad is a title used by the
Pythagoreans for the number two, representing the principle of
"twoness". Philosophers treated the dyad as a second cause, which was the divine mind that via
a finite reflective nature causes matter to become perceivable.
Artists Joshua Hogan and Adam Kenney are in a dyadic relationship with their artwork. As they influence their art, their art also influences them. Through metaphor, their artwork finds its power
on the ruins of rationality. This
allows both artists to imagine abstract concepts in concrete terms.
JOSHUA HOGAN:
Joshua Hogan creates canvases that push and pull the viewer. When the
canvas surface is warm yellow, the viewer is pulled into the painting.
Also an earthly color, Hogan's use of yellow is unrestricted. Form is
developed with the application of gold leaf which intensifies his
application of yellow and suggests to the viewer a feeling like the
first breath of life "bursting forth aimlessly in every direction." When
the canvas surface is blue, the viewer is pushed from the painting to
an unearthly state. Like the moonflower folding in upon itself during
light, Hogan's use of blue conveys the confidence of red without being
somber. Trace forms created with the use of red sometimes appear on Hogan's yellow or blue canvas surfaces, as do strokes of white. The
coexistence of the two forces the viewer to acknowledge polarities. The
white brushstrokes dance across the canvas surface as clean and pure as
snow, but they conceal the life that lies beneath. The slight touch of
red flutters between an aura of confidence and the threat of approaching
danger.
ADAM KENNEY:
Adam Kenney's work explores the formal
possibilities and physical properties of glass. In making each object,
Kenney realizes several creative objectives. First, he merges
traditional techniques and modern aesthetics to produce objects with
sound craftsmanship and dynamic form. Second, he prefers the solemnity
of minimal shapes like the ovoid, sphere, and cylinder. Their
uncomplicated contours make ideal three-dimensional canvases for
compositions of metallic lead. To reference the fluidity of the process
and material, the contours of these minimal shapes are slightly upset
with a loose pattern of surface indentations. Finally, with colors like
oxblood, aubergine, and olive, Kenney employs an earthier palette
underrepresented in glass. As a result, by utilizing such modest hues,
uncomplicated forms, and organic surfaces, Kenney creates subtle yet
eloquent glass objects.
As
Kandinsky described in his essay On Understanding Art, "there are two
kinds of people; those who content themselves with the inward
experience of phenomena; and those who seek to define this inner
experience." Hogan and Kenney seek to define their personal inner
experience through the act of creating. And through the dyadic process of
creating, the artwork becomes the language of their soul.
JOIN US for the Public Reception of DYAD:
Saturday, October 17th, 2009
5 pm - 8 pm
Free and Open to the Public.
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