NYAB Event - “Folk Like Us” Exhibition

“Folk Like Us” Exhibition

Jonathan Levine Gallery (557C W 23rd St.)

[Image: Souther Salazar "Earlybirds"]

This event has ended.

Jonathan LeVine Gallery presents Folk Like Us, a group exhibition featuring work by Ben Venom, Dennis McNett, Jim Houser and Souther Salazar.

The diverse pairing of artists in Folk Like Us use a wide range of traditional craft materials, such as fabric, wood and paper, resulting in works that share a variety of commonalities with folk and outsider art. This exhibition is exemplary of how Venom, Mcnett, Houser and Salazar allow their unconventional ideas to depict new realms of modern day folklore.

San Francisco based artist Ben Venom juxtaposes the tradition of quilt making with extreme elements found on the fringes of society. Using repurposed materials, such as vintage t-shirts, bandanas and canvas, he creates textile-based works featuring countercultural iconography, such as imagery associated with tattoo culture, the occult, heavy metal music and motorcycle gangs.

Dennis McNett carves into large pieces of wood by hand and transforms their surfaces. Residing between New York and Texas, his graphic works depict creatures from Nordic mythology that are aesthetically influenced by the skateboarding and punk rock scene of the 1980s. Often combining species, such as his well-known wolfbat, the final result is fierce characters with impeccable detail.

Philadelphia based artist Jim Houser layers acrylic on wood, fabric and found objects in compositions that include stylized figures, hand-drawn typography and geometric shapes. Often blurring the line between collage and sculpture, this self-taught artist catalogues his experiences and feelings through a unique pictorial language, creating a signature style of visual poetry and his own brand of curative iconography.

Souther Salazar utilizes mixed media, found objects and collaged layers of assemblage in his paintings, drawings and sculptures. Currently based in Portland, Oregon, he transports viewers into a vibrant and endless world of overlapping narratives and dreamscapes. Half remembered and half imagined, Salazar’s work evokes the wonder and imagination that is typically lost in adulthood.