Repurposes now showing!

repurposes_logo
Repurposes is now installed and open to the public in the Changing Gallery of the Baron and Ellin Gordon Galleries at Old Dominion University. The show website (still in progress) can be found here. A listing of the artists, with links to their websites can also be found below, after the show statement. (Artists marked with an asterisk are web contributors and their work can be found at the link).

Repurposes is an exhibition representing themes of reexamination and reengagement of personal and public convictions. In a time of historic change and challenge—politically, economically, technologically—how do we remake our world and ourselves?

It is a longstanding belief that progress comes from the new—new ideas, new purchases, new media. But what if the answers are already with us? A different perspective is to work with what we have: to reclaim and reconsider. Instead of crafting new principles for how we should regard our world and ourselves, we might first rehabilitate meanings that have been lost or disfigured. Due to misuse and distortion, many terms have been drained of meaning (“liberal,” “conservative, ” “original,” “reality”). A cynical response has been the abandonment of not only the words but also the underlying ideals.

Specifically, artists must also face the overproduction of material culture and its implications for our self and the environment. How might we employ and transform the abundant objects and imagery that already exists? Might we go beyond a simple material-based “recycling” effort to employ the symbolism inherent in material culture? Could “improper” or unexpected expressions and uses may bring revelation?

The work selected for this exhibition takes many perspectives on Repurposing. The most common expression of the repurposing ideal here is through the adaptation of previously used (“recycled”) materials into new forms. However, even in this repurposing, the nature of the transformation and the significance of the initial item or use differs. Some make explicit commentary on relevant topics such as consumerism and waste, while others subtly promote the message of repurposing through the aesthetic pleasure to be derived from the resulting work. Many do both. In addition to transforming materials, there is also work that renovates language and imagery. Words and conversation (both private and commercial) are subject to conversion—to prompt the audience’s conversion to a new way of regarding communication.

The idea of repurposing is evident in the form of the works described above. However, for others, the generating impulse is not as apparent. The repurposing is in the biography, the experience of the artist. The beliefs that we can reconnect with are multiform and subtle.

Repurposing of any kind, expressed in any manner, is ultimately purposing. Examination—and reexamination—of meaning and purpose is always advantageous. Especially if that study leads to action on the convictions we recover or discover.

Michael Alstad*
Kristen Alvanson
Mary Babcock
Andrew Bascle
Robert Billings
Alice Bradshaw*
Andrew Breitenberg
Jenna Collins
Caroline Cox
elmur.net*
Gale Flax
Scott Groeniger
Hilary Jack
Daniel Jasper
John Kramer
Roselyn Leibowitz
Lemeh42
Ann Liu
Chris McCampbell
Steven McCarthy*
Rebecca Mushtare
Antonia Perez
Vincent Romaniello
Marcella Stasa
Wesley Stuckey
Beth Taylor
Bradley Treadaway
Isabel Uria
Supisa Wattanasansanee

Repurposes Selections


Thirty-one artists have been selected from nearly (perhaps over) 80 applicants for the Repurposes exhibition to be held at the Ellin and Baron Gordon Galleries at Old Dominion University, March 20–April 18, 2010. The artists come from around the world, with work representing a wide variety of media, including artist books, print, text, design, photography, sculpture, installation, video, and web. (Image: Wesley Stuckey, “Where Did The Forest Go,” No.2 yellow pencils, wooden clothes pins, toothpics, thread, sticks and matches, 72¨ h x 66¨ w.)

Michael Alstad
Kristen Alvanson
Mary Babcock
Andrew Bascle
Robert Billings
Alice Bradshaw
Andrew Breitenberg
Jenna Collins
Caroline Cox
Gale Flax
Scott Groeniger
Hilary Jack
Daniel Jasper
JK Keller
John Kramer
Roselyn Leibowitz
Lemeh42
Ann Liu
Paul Matosic
Chris McCampbell
Steven McCarthy
Rebecca Mushtare
Antonia Perez
Vincent Romaniello
Marie Reig
Marcella Stasa
Wesley Stuckey
Beth Taylor
Bradly Treadaway
Isabel Uria
Supisa Wattanasansanee

Repurposes: Call for submissions

Repurposes
Baron and Ellin Gordon Galleries at Old Dominion University
March 20–April 18, 2010
A joint project of Ephemeral States and Helvetica Jones

Repurposes is an exhibition that seeks to present work representing themes of reexamining and reengaging convictions or finding new uses for what’s been produced for other prospects. Instead of crafting new doctrines for how we should regard our world and ourselves, we might first rehabilitate meanings that have been lost or disfigured. We must also face the overproduction of material culture and its implications for our self and the environment. How might we employ and transform the abundant objects and imagery that already exists? In a time of historic change and challenge—politically, economically, technologically—how do we remake ourselves?

Works may address the idea of Repurposes either in their concept or their material form. Submissions of existing 2D and interactive (short QuickTime movies, Flash animations) work are welcome in addition to proposals for installation work. Submissions should be either as high-quality JPEG images or PDFs.

Curated by Kenneth FitzGerald, Associate Professor of Art, Old Dominion University, and Garland Kirkpatrick, Associate Professor of Art, Loyola Marymount University.

Deadline for submissions: Friday, October 2, 2009
Selections announced: Monday, November 30, 2009
Deadline to receive work: Monday, February 15, 2010
Show opens: Saturday, March 20, 2010
Show closes: Sunday, April 18, 2010

Send submissions to:
Kenneth FitzGerald
Art Department
Old Dominion University
Hampton Boulevard
Norfolk VA 23529
757 683 5459
kfitzger@odu.edu

The Kenneth FitzGerald Album (Extended Play)

Flickr photo sets of the show and opening can be found here and here!

This exhibition as a whole, and the works individually, involved my favorite themes: word-play and double meanings (“album” as image and music collection); cross-overs, hybrids, and borderliners; the deliberate misuse of materials and processes; embracing accident and error; anti-mastery; meaning through metaphor; improvisation; and the pleasure and responsibility of adding to a world oversaturated with art and design.

Considering the last, I’m unconcerned about making more polished products, though I want what I produce to be engaging. Production is an opportunity to play in the world of things: creating afresh and “repurposing” the discarded and excessive. I’m open to a wide range of results—which considering my methods and materials, I’d better be. I strongly believe in the importance of craft, which along with providing precision, allows worthy improvisation. But an excess of mastery can lead to rote practice—and product that’s accomplished but unmoving.

This all means that my work can be uncertain in execution and outcome. I’m always trying to balance competing concerns, with mixed success. At worst, the result gets composted, fed back into the system. At best, we might have small revelations of how to see and participate in this world of things.

The Baron & Ellin Gordon Galleries at Old Dominion University present The Kenneth FitzGerald Album (Extended Play) in the University Gallery, March 1–April 6, 2008. An opening reception will be held Saturday, March 1, 7:00–9:00PM.

Old Dominion University
Monarch Way & 45th Street
Parking available in the 45th Street garage
757 683 6271
Show times: Tuesday–Saturday 11:00–5:00
Sunday 1:00–5:00

The Kenneth FitzGerald Album (Extended Play) is a solo exhibition of mixed media work by Old Dominion University art faculty member Kenneth FitzGerald. It is a compilation of mixed-media, analog and digital, 2D + 3D, text/image works. Selections include new, original compositions plus remixes and rearrangements of past favorites, with samples from and mash-ups with found and ‘appropriated’ art.

The majority is print-based, either original text and image compositions realized on large-format digital printers, or constructions comprised of “accidental” graphics and “make ready” from professionally offset pieces. Other selections include small sculptures comprised of books and found materials, clay “paintings,” digital wallpapers of reformatted web animations, and folded paper objects (hexahexaflexagons) to be manipulated by gallery visitors.

FitzGerald’s 2D work is included in public and private collections in New York, New England, and the Midwest. Selections of his artist book works are in the Museum of Modern Art/Franklin Furnace/Artist Book Collection. His four-issue, self-produced magazine project, The News of the World (copies of which are included in the show) received awards for design excellence from the American Center for Design and AIGA. FitzGerald currently teaches in the undergraduate Graphic Design and graduate Visual Studies programs at Old Dominion University.

Portrait photographs by Greta Pratt. Featured in the images are (amongst others) works by April Greiman (‘does it make sense?’), Milton Glaser (Dylan), Martin Venezky (Sundance), Marian Bantjes (spider), Rick Valicenti (‘i love you this much’), and Rudy VanderLans (desert signage).