Renaissance Men. The exhibition features photographs, performance, video, or prints by GAS (Matt Vis and Tony Campbell).
Mindy Solomon, premiering her new gallery in the center of the Wynwood Arts District, brings over two decades of international art experience as an educator, collector, and gallerist. Ranked in 2013 as one of the top six galleries in Florida by the prestigious Blouin Modern Painter magazine, her sophisticated and bold curating style will debut in Miami with a solo show by American Matt Vis and British-born Tony Campbell. The pair, known artistically as Generic Art Solutions, or GAS, presents a collection of work in an exhibition entitled 'Renaissance Men.' The Opening Reception will be held Wednesday, October 16th, from 6:00-9:-00pm. The exhibition will be on view October 17th through November 16th.
“I am thrilled to open my new gallery in Wynwood,” says Mindy Solomon. “Watching the art market explode in Miami over the past several years inspired me to make the move. The work of Generic Art Solutions is an ideal choice for our first exhibition as the work is resplendent with historical references that quickly engage public response. Narrative images featuring the artists, Matt Vis and Tony Campbell, inspire delight and consideration as the viewer re-constructs the painting references from memory. The artists are also accomplished videographers with a flair for drama and humor as conveyed by their performance works. The familiarity of subject, combined with a fresh contemporary perspective, educates and entertains. Variety of scale and medium are a hallmark of the Mindy Solomon Gallery program, and Generic Art Solutions epitomizes this perspective.”
The work of Generic Art Solutions (whether it be a photograph, performance, video, or print) begins with a thoughtful re-examination of the human condition, and the effect of recurring cycles of technological advancements and cultural awakenings. But, how much has mankind really evolved? Aren’t we essentially still making the same mistakes? According to the artists, it would certainly seem so. Compare Gericault’s famed painting 'The Raft of the Medusa,' 1819, to the G.A.S. representation of Deepwater Horizon's oil spill in April 2010, as depicted in their photographic work 'The Raft' (2010, below): these two artworks portray shockingly similar tales of human suffering brought on by corporate greed. Or, take Delacroix’s 'Liberty Leading the People' commemorating the French Revolution in 1830, and the perpetual revolutionary uprisings of the Arab Spring as seen in G.A.S.'s 'Liberty,' 2011. The artists state: "However evolved we may think we are, the folly of human behavior is still the root of all societal (dis)functions. This is a sobering thought that demands attention. But there is a message of hope in these contemporary homages: through thoughtful reexamination and a commitment to change, we can break the cycle of repeating our mistakes."
About Generic Art Solutions
Generic Art Solutions is the collaborative effort of Matt Vis and Tony Campbell. This New Orleans-based art duo utilizes nearly every art medium to examine the recurring themes of human drama and the (dis)functions of contemporary society. Always rooted in the performative, they play every character in their own works. In their more distilled 'duets,' we see something of a yin and yang (a balance between individuals who aren’t quite interchangeable), but in their more elaborate stagings, the resultant effect is as epic as the subject matter itself. By combining Classical, Romantic, and Baroque compositional elements with contemporary pictorial techniques, G.A.S. illuminates the common threads that connect past histories with current events. G.A.S. is represented exclusively by the Mindy Solomon Gallery in Florida.
Visit the G.A.S. website //
About Mindy Solomon Gallery
Mindy Solomon Gallery specializes in contemporary emerging and mid-career artists. Represented works include painting, sculpture, photography, and video in both narrative and non-objective styles. Solomon also exhibits some of the most prestigious contemporary Korean artists on the world market. With an interest in client education, such as an upcoming collectors’ tour to South Korea, and regular artists’ talks and VIP events, the gallery and its programs endeavor to showcase a unique and bold view of the international art world. Deeply interested in the intersection of art and design, Ms. Solomon and her team collaborate with designers, advisors, consultants and curators to inform and integrate fine works of art as part of a greater aesthetic.
One of only six galleries in Florida to be included in 'Top 500 Galleries Worldwide' in the Blouin Modern Painters 2013 Annual Guide, Mindy Solomon Gallery participates in many prestigious art fairs, including the upcoming Art Miami fair during Art Basel's Art Week in Miami Beach, as well as the Zona Maco Contemporary Art Fair in Mexico City, VOLTA NY, and Shanghai Contemporary.
The mission of the Mindy Solomon Gallery is to present the highest caliber works from emerging and mid-career artists in a broad spectrum of media. With a focus on context and the interconnectedness of material, Mindy Solomon and her staff approach the client/artist relationship with an interest in education and visual empowerment.
Image: The Raft // 2010 // 30 x 40 inches // archival digital print on photographic paper
Opening Reception: Wednesday, October 16th, 6:00-9:-00pm
Mindy Solomon Gallery
172 NW 24th St., Miami, FL 33127
Tuesday-Saturday from 11am-5pm