Billy​ ​Grant and​ ​Rich​ ​Porter Exhibition

Billy​ ​Grant and​ ​Rich​ ​Porter Exhibition

Safe Gallery

This event has ended.

Billy​ ​Grant​ ​has​ ​been​ ​involved​ ​with​ ​the​ ​art​ ​landscape​ ​of​ ​the​ ​last​ ​decade​ ​through​ ​several​ ​diverse collaborative​ ​projects;​ ​notably​ ​video​ ​and​ ​painted​ ​installations​ ​under​ ​the​ ​moniker​ ​Dearraindrop, and​ ​most​ ​recently​ ​the​ ​fashion​ ​parody​ ​George​ ​du​ ​George​ ​at​ ​Serpentine​ ​Gallery.​ ​For​ ​this​ ​latest incarnation,​ ​Billy​ ​has​ ​stepped​ ​out​ ​sans​ ​collaborators​ ​in​ ​order​ ​to​ ​create​ ​his​ ​own​ ​series​ ​of paintings.​ ​Grant’s​ ​trademark​ ​intuitive​ ​drawing​ ​style​ ​becomes​ ​mechanized​ ​via​ ​the​ ​markings​ ​of​ ​a paintbrush​ ​affixed​ ​to​ ​a​ ​cordless​ ​drill.​ ​Spiraling​ ​in​ ​and​ ​out​ ​of​ ​space,​ ​contrasting​ ​paint​ ​pigments create​ ​a​ ​hypnotic​ ​expression​ ​of​ ​volume.​ ​The​ ​intentionally​ ​simple​ ​subject​ ​matter​ ​serves​ ​as​ ​a vehicle​ ​for​ ​Grant’s​ ​hyper​ ​depiction​ ​of​ ​space.​ ​The​ ​loopy,​ ​unpredictable​ ​swirls​ ​result​ ​in​ ​a suspended​ ​moment​ ​of​ ​intimacy​ ​and​ ​mystery.​ ​In​ ​one​ ​example,​ ​the​ ​viewer​ ​is​ ​able​ ​to​ ​ponder​ ​the formal​ ​shape​ ​of​ ​a​ ​dolphin​ ​while​ ​experiencing​ ​the​ ​entrails​ ​of​ ​the​ ​painting​ ​itself;​ ​tubular​ ​lines building​ ​in​ ​and​ ​on​ ​top​ ​of​ ​one​ ​another​ ​to​ ​take​ ​on​ ​the​ ​silhouette​ ​of​ ​the​ ​sea​ ​creature.​ ​Another painting​ ​depicts​ ​a​ ​typical​ ​suburban​ ​home,​ ​more​ ​specifically​ ​the​ ​one​ ​Grant’s​ ​mother​ ​lives​ ​in, rendered​ ​in​ ​a​ ​helix​ ​of​ ​cool​ ​blues,​ ​greys,​ ​and​ ​purples,​ ​and​ ​set​ ​against​ ​a​ ​flat​ ​black​ ​background. Grant’s​ ​color​ ​palette​ ​pops​ ​with​ ​contrast​ ​yet​ ​remains​ ​soft.​ ​The​ ​cloudy​ ​textures​ ​produced​ ​by​ ​the motorized​ ​drill​ ​brush​ ​seem​ ​to​ ​continually​ ​appear​ ​and​ ​disappear​ ​with​ ​each​ ​new​ ​gaze.​ ​This​ ​work seems​ ​to​ ​slow​ ​down​ ​the​ ​process​ ​of​ ​perception​ ​itself,​ ​leaving​ ​the​ ​viewer’s​ ​eyes​ ​to​ ​endlessly follow​ ​the​ ​whirling​ ​loop​ ​of​ ​the​ ​paint​ ​strokes​ ​into​ ​oblivion.

Rich​ ​Porter​ ​hails​ ​from​ ​the​ ​Providence​ ​art​ ​scene​ ​of​ ​the​ ​early​ ​2000’s.​ ​Similar​ ​to​ ​Grant,​ ​Porter​ ​has extensive​ ​experience​ ​working​ ​collaboratively;​ ​from​ ​theatre​ ​and​ ​performance​ ​to​ ​sound​ ​and​ ​video projects.​ ​​ ​Porter’s​ ​recent​ ​work​ ​has​ ​evolved​ ​from​ ​the​ ​studio​ ​take-over​ ​of​ ​a​ ​retired​ ​woodworker. Porter​ ​reinterprets​ ​frozen-in-time​ ​woodshop​ ​remnants​ ​by​ ​dissecting​ ​and​ ​rearranging​ ​what​ ​he finds.​ ​This​ ​re-contextualizing​ ​is​ ​an​ ​improvisational​ ​process​ ​for​ ​Porter.​ ​The​ ​weathering​ ​and chipping​ ​away​ ​at​ ​hard-edged​ ​materials​ ​explores​ ​the​ ​tension​ ​between​ ​manmade​ ​and​ ​organic growth.​ ​This​ ​process-driven​ ​practice​ ​allows​ ​the​ ​artist​ ​to​ ​untangle​ ​forms​ ​into​ ​a​ ​new​ ​landscape​ ​of wooden​ ​structures​ ​woven​ ​together​ ​with​ ​rope.​ ​​ ​Bright​ ​spectrums​ ​of​ ​encaustic​ ​paint​ ​accentuate the​ ​variety​ ​of​ ​forms;​ ​monumentalizing​ ​temporal​ ​gestures​ ​and​ ​capturing​ ​expressive​ ​acts​ ​of​ ​a fleeting​ ​moment.​ ​Porter’s​ ​frequent​ ​visits​ ​to​ ​the​ ​eastern​ ​shoreline​ ​has​ ​also​ ​made​ ​a​ ​recent​ ​impact on​ ​his​ ​work.​ ​​ ​During​ ​a​ ​routine​ ​collection​ ​of​ ​rope​ ​and​ ​debris,​ ​the​ ​artist​ ​uncovered​ ​a​ ​mysterious plastic​ ​object.​ ​Unable​ ​to​ ​identify​ ​its​ ​original​ ​source,​ ​Porter​ ​began​ ​to​ ​recreate​ ​the​ ​form,​ ​and variations​ ​of​ ​it,​ ​by​ ​utilizing​ ​a​ ​3D​ ​printer.​ ​This​ ​became​ ​the​ ​impetus​ ​for​ ​the​ ​multitudinous​ ​bright forms​ ​that​ ​are​ ​linked​ ​around​ ​Porter’s​ ​sculptures.​ ​By​ ​melding​ ​plastic​ ​both​ ​found​ ​and​ ​reproduced, rope​ ​torn​ ​and​ ​new,​ ​painted​ ​white​ ​plaster,​ ​and​ ​wood​ ​chipped​ ​and​ ​cut;​ ​Porter​ ​interprets​ ​the shards​ ​of​ ​his​ ​surroundings​ ​into​ ​a​ ​new​ ​constructed​ ​reality.​ ​The​ ​amalgamations​ ​that​ ​emerge​ ​are​ ​a visual​ ​iteration​ ​of​ ​time.​ ​As​ ​the​ ​objects​ ​move​ ​through​ ​space​ ​in​ ​the​ ​varied​ ​materials,​ ​old​ ​and​ ​new become​ ​one.​ ​The​ ​culminating​ ​structures​ ​take​ ​on​ ​a​ ​nautical​ ​spirit​ ​as​ ​they​ ​seesaw​ ​along​ ​the horizon​ ​line​ ​of​ ​the​ ​gallery.

Media

• Installation
• Video installation
• Performance Art

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