space 1026

A GUIDE TO SALVATION – Curated by Hilary Pecis

Andrew Schoultz, David Kazprazak, Hilary Pecis, Jana Flynn, Kelly Lynn Jones,
Marcie Oakes, Michelle Blade, Ryan Travis Christian, Tracy Timmins.
Opening Reception: Friday, July 9th, 7 – 10pm
July 9th – 30th, 2010
SPACE 1026
1026 Arch St. 2nd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19107
www.space1026.com

The tradition of western painting has historically focused on the Divine in a variety of ways; depicting icons, revelations, mysteries and ecstasies, all pointing to the path to salvation. A Guide to Salvation examines the approach contemporary artists take to suggest the Divine or to illustrate a creed of his or her own. Dave Hickey recently wrote in Art in America, the “Edenic dreamers are transparent, exposing their dreams undisguised and, standing in the light, are completely naked”. The artists in this exhibition put forth work bearing both the governing suggestions of the celebration and devotion to what they hold sacred. They offer to decode the world, provide guidance and attempt to grant salvation to the devoted. Their work suggests the working of miracles, the worship contemporary icons, hyper intense scenes of ecstasies, end of life experiences, cautionary warnings, and most importantly a simple pathway to a spiritual experience. The artists, whose work is not intrinsically religious, participate in the ritual of paying homage to their motivational source and driving force, as well as offering deliverance to the chosen. Please join us for an opening reception for A Guide to Salvation on Friday, July 9th from 7:00 t0 10:00pm at 1026 Arch St. in Philadelphia.

A native Californian, curator Hilary Pecis resides and works in San Francisco, where she is a recent MFA graduate from California College of the Arts. Pecis’ work is a depiction of landscapes influenced by Internet, television and other media sources.  Images and shards from glossy magazine pages are reassembled into a surrogate image within the new composition in combination with code imbedded drawings of rock formations.  With an interest and focus on the interchangeability of images and the capability to perceive and ignore them, Hilary, draws attention to how we are conditioned by the media’s overwhelming supply of information. She has been the recent recipient of San Francisco Weekly’s Mastermind Grant and San Francisco Arts Commission’s Murphy and Cadogan Fellowship.

Michelle Blade lives and works in Oakland, California. Her work is based on exploration and questioning, and points toward history, philosophy, spirituality, nature, anthropology and common culture as both inspiration and fodder. She received a BFA from Loyola Marymont University and a MFA from California College of the Arts. Blade’s work has been exhibited through out the US and Europe, with solo shows at Jack Hanley Gallery and Triple Base Gallery in San Francisco. Currently she is directing and curating exhibitions at Sight School in Oakland, California.

Andrew Schoultz combines meticulous rendering with imagery both familiar and fantastical. Themes of chaos and destruction forewarn current political and environmental climate, taking from in large-scale installations, murals, paintings, sculptures and works on paper. Schoultz has exhibited his work widely at galleries including Roberts and Tilton in LA, V1 in Copenhagen, Morgan Lehman in New York, Marx and Zavaterro in San Francisco amongst many others. He currently lives and works in San Francisco with his furry co-pilot, Kaba Kitty.

Tracy Timmins uses colored pencil to poetically illustrate the delicate features of her subject matter. Born in Eugene, Oregon, Timmens currently lives and works in both California and New York. In 2006 Timmins received a BFA from California College of Arts and is currently a Masters candidate at NYU. She has exhibited her work at Rena Bransten in San Francisco, Hinter Conti in Hamburg, Germany and Roberts and Tilton in Los Angeles.

Jana Flynn‘s site-specific installations incorporate painting, drawing, collage and sculpture by weaving string into a complex system of interactions at varying levels. The space she carves serves as a psychedelic monument influenced by her interpretations of eastern philosophies, elements of nature, and the cosmic order. Jana was born in San Francisco, and earned her BFA from San Francisco State University. She received a MFA from Parsons School of Art and Design in Visual Arts and currently lives and works in Brooklyn. Her work has been exhibited at Envoy Gallery in New York, The Kitchen in New York and Johansson Projects in Oakland.

David Kasprzak attended the Columbus College of Art and Design in Columbus, Ohio, where he received his BFA in Fine Arts and was awarded a scholarship to SACI in Florence, Italy, where he focused on ancient art history and Italian cinema. Kasprzak’s work deals with subjects such as: geometry, destruction, displacement, and paranoia in a humorous light, which he executes through a variety of mediums. Kasprzak lives and works in San Francisco and is currently pursuing his MA at the California College of Art in Curatorial Practice. His work has been exhibited in various galleries such as Park Life and Baer Ridgeway, both in San Francisco.

Marcie Oakes lives and works in Chicago. She has exhibited her work at Heist Gallery in San Francisco and The Northern Illinois University Art Museum.

Ryan Travis Christian is a Chicago area artist that works primarily with pencil and ink. His images are active and often psychedelic, but his muted pallet makes these explosive composition exceptional dreary and almost dreamlike. Ryan received his BFA from Northern Illinois University. He has exhibited at Western Exhibitions in Chicago, Synchronicity in Los Angeles and Baer Ridgeway in San Francisco.

Kelly Lynn Jones is a Los Angeles native living in the Bay Area where she recently received her MFA from California College of the Arts in San Francisco. Her work is inspired by moments disrupted by the unexpected in life. She explores the illusions of stability, both structurally and psychologically under the notion of the home as only an imagined retreat. Kelly has exhibited her work at Park Life Gallery and Giant Robot, both in San Francisco and Krets Gallery in Sweden.

Space 1026 was founded over a decade ago by a handful of artists and tricksters who organize rowdy public events and outrageous installations at their building and at other institutions. At the heart of Space 1026 is a communal screen-printing workshop and gallery space for monthly exhibitions by local and international artists.

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A GUIDE TO SALVATION
Curated by Hilary Pecis
Andrew Schoultz, David Kazprazak, Hilary Pecis, Jana Flynn, Kelly Lynn Jones, Marcie Oakes, Michelle Blade, Ryan Travis Christian, Tracy Timmins. Opening Reception: Friday, July 9th 7 -10 pm
July 9th – 30th, 2010
Space 1026
1026 Arch St. 2nd Floor Philadelphia, PA 19107
www.space1026.com

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Jana Flynn
Mutually Joined, 2010
String
Dimensions variable

Hilary Pecis
Untitled, 2010
20” x 16”
Digital C-Print

Ryan Travis Christian
Go To Work, 2010
22” x 30”
Graphite on Paper

Michelle Blade
It Went On and On and On, 2009
53” x 58”
Pencil, Ink, Acrylic and salt on Dura-lar

Andrew Schoultz
Untitled, 2010
24” x 18”
Acrylic Metal Flake on Canvas over Panel

Kelly Lynn Jones
Ladder for Replacement, 2010
Actual Size: 8.25 x 11 5/8″ (Framed: 10.5 x 14.5″)
Collage

Kelly Lynn Jones
Placeholder, 2010
Actual Size: 8.25 x 11 5/8″ (Framed: 10.5 x 14.5”)
Collage

Marcie Oakes
What Happens When You Fall Through To It, 2010
22″ x 30″
Ink on Paper

David Kazprazak
Black Mountain Phenomenon, 2010
9” x 11”
Ink, Gold Leaf

Tracy Timmins
Figure 2, 2010
16” x 12”
Colored Pencil on Paper

Tracy Timmins
Structure 1, 2010
16” x 12”
Colored Pencil on Paper

Tracy Timmins
Structure 2, 2010
16” x 12”
Colored Pencil on Paper