David J Merritt “Flesh of My Flesh”
Kansas
This event has ended.
KANSAS presents the second solo exhibition of new work by David J. Merritt.
Referring to the passage in Genesis in which Eve is created from Adam’s bone, Flesh of My Flesh uses this
reference as a launch point to examine human relationship with technological objects as extensions of the
body.
Merritt will present a set of totems and a wall glyph constructed from single sheets of bent aluminum.
Inspired by industrial computer design, the “Chassis” series anthropomorphize the static exterior shell.
In contrast, works made of yellow, dyed polyvinyl acetate (wood glue) are poured and cast from sections
of the studio floor. Designed to evolve over the course of the exhibition, the skin-like forms will
transform from a vibrant yellow, to a hazy orange and finally deep crimson.
The title work is a video diptych presented on commercial displays typically used for digital signage. In
Merritt’s signature style, fleshy-mirrored forms derived from photographs of “dead sculpture” are digitally
programmed to itch along the video frame. The two forms never intersect but instead appear to mimic
each other’s movements in a seamless, never-ending loop.
David J. Merritt received his MFA in Studio Art from New York University Steinhardt, 2011. He
received his BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2004 with a focus in video,
performance and critical theory. In 2005 he received a CAAP Grant from The City of Chicago
Department of Cultural Affairs. He was selected to represent Honolulu in New Media at the Artists of
Hawai’i Biennial 2009. His work has been included in group exhibitions in New York, Los Angeles, Paris
and Brussels. In 2011 he participated in residency programs at Denniston Hill in New York and
NonObjectif Sud in Tulette, France. His work was featured in the Fall 2011 edition of NY Arts Magazine
and he was selected as one of their 30 Artists to Watch in 2012. He currently lives and works in Brooklyn,
NY.
Media
Schedule
from April 03, 2015 to May 09, 2015
Opening Reception on 2015-04-03 from 18:00 to 20:00