Robert Brinker
dal 30/1/2008 al 7/3/2008
Segnalato da
30/1/2008
Robert Brinker
Sara Tecchia Roma New York, New York
Foul Play. Like the title itself, this new series of graphite and cut paper is a mass of contradictions. At first glance Brinker's work is vaguely abstract. But when the eye follows the feuille of paper and the dark tracings, a completely different picture emerges.
"I love the expression 'foul play.' It's just a ball out of bounds, isn't it? Or a
poke in the nethers. But the sound, the associations. Foul - a word meaning noxious,
polluted, stinking, vile. And play, such a happy, childish word, all smiles and
blond curls in the sunlight."
- Cathleen Schine, "The Dead and The Naked"
Sara Tecchia Roma New York is pleased to present a solo-exhibition of the work of
Robert Brinker entitled "Foul Play." Like the phrase itself, this new series of
graphite and cut paper is a mass of contradictions.
As a child, Brinker was presented by his parents with the toy Trace and Color, which
gives the illusion of creation while actually dictating the end product. It is his
earliest memory of creative experience. "The idea," says Brinker, "was that you
would trace the different characters to 'create' your own 'original,'" when actually
the only autonomy was with the later alterations of each set scene. "A similar
process," he says, "has propelled me into my current work almost 30 years later."
Brinker's cut drawings mirrors this toy thematically and visually. He imposes strict
rules and regulations on his work - a "definite performance and sequence of
actions," he says - but beneath this sobriety of process lies an unplanned yet
innate distrust of such boundaries.
At first glance Brinker's work is vaguely abstract, almost innocuous. But when the
eye follows the feuille of cut paper and the dark graphite tracings, a completely
different picture emerges. Shadowed by the layering of media and the calm yet
chaotic scramble of images, the sparkling stars, bows and placid flowers slowly
morph into more startling figurations: phalluses, orifices and raw and oddly sexual
activities. With Brinker's work, seeing is not believing but unveiling. The power of
the work rests on the shock of discovery, mixed with self-doubt, of those
encountering uncharted territories of visual recognition.
Reception: January 31: 6-8pm
Sara Tecchia Roma New York
529 West 20th Street - New York
Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10am to 6pm or by appointment
Free admission