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21/4/2004

Robert Yoder

Charles Cowles Gallery, New York

ROBERT YODER diversifies his media for his second exhibition at Charles Cowles Gallery.

He continues his examination of decontextualized materials and turns often overlooked quotidian objects into artworks. In addition to his familiar cut wood road-sign constructions, this exhibition also includes works built from Legos and collaged from discarded luxury shopping bags. He deconstructs and remakes his materials as abstract assemblages. YODER’s compositions hint at aerial views of utopian landscapes without specificity of location. Reference materials like atlases and maps inspire his works visually but also inform his choice of titles. He gleans small-town names from frequent perusal of these resources to give his works a sense of place.

Graphically stunning, YODER's works are puzzled together leaving the letters and symbols on the signs and bags suggested, but illegible. Reflective paint shimmers with a metallic sheen when light hits the surfaces of the scavenged painted wood road signs. The grain of the wood asserts itself through the slick laminate adding a subtle texture to the entire surface. The collaged paper pieces echo a landscape with their creases and folds of heavy paper approximating valleys and canyons: a subtle topography of shiny and matte surfaces. The visible record of the materials' previous incarnations reflect an intriguing archaeology. The Legos, more sleek and uniform than their recycled counterparts, allow YODER a freedom to build his utopian vision by adding depth and color at will.

Born in Virginia, YODER currently lives and works in Seattle. YODER’s work is included in distinguished public collections including the Seattle Art Museum, WA, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX. YODER's work is included in the exhibition Lewis and Clark Territory: Contemporary Artists Revisit Place, Race, and Memory, currently on view at Tacoma Art Museum, WA, through June 6, 2004, and then traveling nationally.

Abfall, an illustrated catalogue published by Thread for Art with essays by Rhonda Lane Howard and Holly A. Getch Clarke, is available (30 pages, $35). A signed limited edition print is enclosed in the unique packaging of this publication (4 editions of 250).

The exhibition will be on view at the Charles Cowles Gallery, 537 West 24th Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues in Chelsea.
Hours are 10am to 6pm, Tuesday through Saturday.

There will be a reception for the artist on Thursday, April 22 from 6-8 pm.

For further information or photographs, please contact the gallery.

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