Binaries Exhibition Opening

September 8, 2016 – October 20, 2016

Reception: Thursday, September 8th, 5PM – 8PM
LIVE FLAMENCO MUSIC BY DAVID PÁEZ
BAR + SNACKS

Although black and white thinking can often be limited to two points of view, taking a closer look reveals that each one is actually made up of infinite shades of grey. Inspired by such fluid notions of opposites, Creative Growth Art Center invites you to discover works that revisit binaries as defined by formal aesthetics like black/white, rough/smooth, and graphic/painterly, as well as by the more topical political contrast between Republicans and Democrats in light of the approaching Presidential Election. Each juxtaposition, whether literal or political, challenges the human tendency to alienate the different and unfamiliar based on defining one extreme.

George Wilson presents a new series of stark ink drawings based on Communist propaganda posters while Ron Veasey illustrates a skeptical face in the presence of the Republican elephant symbol. Artists Dan Miller and Barry Regan reference opposites from a color wheel perspective—Dan using complimentary tones of orange and blue to compose his signature fine-lined drawings and Barry reversing his usual circle motif by drawing round outlines in white ink on black paper.

Nicole Storm’s double-sided works further the duality of painting when both sides are utilized to translate a vision, just as John Martin’s iconic ceramic fists point to a historical movement that sought to empower rather than isolate. Through polarities defined by the artists of Creative Growth, the viewer must evaluate if they are opposites at all or simply parts of a whole.

Designing the White
On the ramp, Designing the White presents works made in a recent visiting artist workshop led by Min Gu on Chinese painting and calligraphy techniques. Exploring the diversity of mark making, Creative Growth artists have generated multiple iterations on Xuan (rice) paper, playing with black/white, dry/wet, and concentrated/diluted binaries.