exploring the physicality, psychology,
aesthetics,  politics and  sociology of  letter
forms, words and signs.

curated by Laurie Lazer/Darryl Smith

JOE AMRHEIN
New York artist Joe AMRHEIN'S work  is a combination
of  disciplines. Physically it comes out of painting,
but the context is conceptual. Using text and font
icons as the primary subject, the source for most of
the text in this work is appropriated from critical
art writing. Amrehinn sifts through these texts
(primarily monthly periodicals like Artforum, Art in
America, Flash Art, et cetera.) and pull out the
hyperbolae; key phrases that try to elaborate on the
where, when and how aspect of the art they are
describing. Caught in the parameters of language and
writing, these key phrases sometimes seem ridiculous,
especially when taken out of context,  One of the main
reasons for using this kind of text to bring it back
into the art making process—making art from critical
prose by critical pros. This language replaces the art
it describes—and brings the abstract notion of
language back into a visual.

Quoting Robert Smithson, “One must remember that
writing on art replaces presence by absence by
substituting the abstraction of language for the real
thing.” 

Some of the text Amrhein composes is not meant to be
read but is used almost as an artifact, because it is
so highly fragmented.  The use of sign painting to
give this language scale and vitality comes out of
Amrhein’s background as a sign painter. 

Amhrein has painted an interactive word piece on
the gallery walls and ceiling and on the window moulding.  
There is also a broken glass  piece, a layered mylar text piece; and a  site specific work on the front door.

Amhrein is the founder/director of the groundbreaking Pierogi Gallery in Wiliamsburg/Brooklyn, NY.
 
TAUBA AUERBACH
Auerbach explores human constructed systems,
matrices and the functionality of malfunction 
Auerbach believes that the various languages we use
to encode our world in order to systematize it and
make it manageable, consistently take on a life of its
own and we often end up at “its” mercy.. The result is
a pervasive disillusionment with the simulacra that we
have ourselves manufactured and are mistaking for the
real.   Using primarily the written English languageand numbers, Quoting from Leah Ollman, LA Times (4/29/05), Auerbach’s “…focus is on the consonance and
friction between the letters’ dual roles as images and
building blocks of meaning.”  Auerbach is showing  large scale drawings and altered typewriters. 

STEVEN  POWERS
New York artist Powers creates paintings based on the
visual marginalia of the world; T-shirt graphics,
cartoons, religious tracts, advertising illustration,
and graffiti. He uses these base elements of visual
communication to depict the issues at the core of the
human experience; Love, hate, desire, insecurity,
jealousy, frustration and revelation are all
encapsulated in a direct mode of communication Powers
calls Emotional Response Icons.  Powers’ painted icons
reflect the overload zeitgeist, his paintings are full
to the frames with a wide range of concerns, from
regret to the ridiculous. He likens what he does to
emotional cave painting, visually summing up humanity
and relaying the summation in easy-to-grasp,
easy-to-recall pictures.

Powers work at the luggage store consists of an installation of motorized cube paintings,
enamel on powder coated steel; and a blow up limo and jacket.

Part figurative, part sign painting, his work is 
intended to evoke  emotional distress signals.