Caesar Alzate Jr. & Betsy Enzensberger

01 Aug Caesar Alzate Jr. & Betsy Enzensberger

Posted at 01:35h in Exhibitions, Past Exhibitions by

Caesar Alzate Jr:
Objectivism (Red)
August 2-31, 2017

Closing Party: Sunday, August 27th 3-6PM

Caesar Alzate Jr. makes Objects which are defined simultaneously as painting and sculpture, made from acrylic paint layered hundreds (if not thousands) of times with a heat process that is essential to his process but also embodies the notion of identity as that of ‘the other’ and ‘the fear of the other’ in a body of work that metaphorically attacks discrimination by categorically justifying difference. The latest series is rendered completely in red, reflecting frustration and anger over anti-immigrant policies at constant risk of passing into law, but fashioned with a serenity that offers a promise of resolution through a concentration of purpose.

The Object is a thing that assimilates traits of painting and sculpture. As a thing of contemplation and self-reflection it breaks down the walls of the established definition that separates each category.

 

“My personal conversation with it ponders the object’s identity. Object is a political act of revolt. It’s a clandestine dialogue between the audience, the work, and me. It is an art work of resistance. We are thinking about the social construct of the causes and justifications related to the standardizing definition of ‘what is painting?’, ‘what is sculpture?’ We debate to question the social controls that manage and police the institutions that support the Art industry.

“When I make the Object I transform the materials from being based things of their kind and I transmute them into a noble thing imbued with my spirit. A spirit of rebellion, bringing forth a physical manifestation of my thinking, “That there is more to creating a painting or a sculpture than what they are telling me. That there are other possibilities that can be created outside the parameters of what that is!

“This Object is an act of autonomous will. An artifact of my determination for trying to push beyond social structures of my culture that attempts to limit my imagination. I have produced an aesthetic object; it is a physical record of my interpretation. What I have made is an emancipation from the repeating mimicry of what I learned taught by the institutions of education based on my social and economic circumstances.” – Caesar Alzate Jr.


 

Melting Pop
Betsy Enzensberger
August 2-31, 2017

Betsy Enzensberger has become quite well known for her realistic, larger than life sculptures of dripping, frozen treats and other sweet-toothed delights. Resin looks like candy. It looks delicious and sweet. The shiny exterior has a wet, melting quality. As with her Dripping series, Melting Pops rely on the child-like lure of sweet, sticky lollipops and popsicles to artificially instill intense desire. Her previous sculptures of ice cream, accentuated the frustration of a dropped cone, but the predominantly red confections in this exhibition practically beg to be rescued and consumed. Lust and frustration have evolved into anticipation and reward.

“Resin–I love it. It’s beautiful, sexy, mysterious. It’s also highly toxic, messy, and annoyingly exhausting to create. There’s just something about it I can’t resist. I dream about it. I want to touch it. I want to eat it.” – Betsy Enzensberger

 

 

 

 

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