Satellite Exhibition

Art among the Ruins

August 15 - November 20, 2016

1708 Gallery is pleased to present Art among the Ruins, a satellite exhibition at Linden Row Inn through November 20, 2016. Art among the Ruins features works by Julie Elkins, Morgan Herrin, Jason Keith, Whitney Oldenburg, Nikki Painter, and Morgan Yacoe.

The concept of ruin is more than the remains of a building or city in a state of decay or disrepair. Evidence that a culture has fallen and been undone floats through our media—and more timelessly—our art. As the great Hippocrates said, “Life is short, art long, opportunity fleeting, experience treacherous, judgment difficult.”

Linden Row Inn is the ideal environment for Art Among the Ruins, in that it has its own decayed history; stories told most vividly via the photography and fiction of those eras: Edgar Allan Poe playing in the courtyards here as a young boy, and artists and writers living here when it was the grand dame of boarding houses.

The six artists included in this exhibition create works that ring true of our own time.

Julie Elkins’ ceramic work is directly influenced by the architectural and historical space she lives and works in. Her narratives are told in miniature environments with strata of meaning.

Morgan Herrin uses construction grade lumber to create classical yet surreal sculpture contrasting our reliance on cheap, disposable raw materials with timeless, historic form.

As a painter and comic book artist, Jason Keith explores both the psychology and philosophy of current times resulting in artwork that strikes an enduring chord.

Evidence of what has come to pass is an underlying theme in the paintings of Whitney Oldenburg. Her surfaces deconstruct some memories and bury others. Her work is both intuitive and heavy in emotion and form.

Nikki Painter creates works on paper and installation that exploits the tension between the natural and manmade world. She embraces the crumbling chaos of demolition sites and remakes a new world of her own envisioning.

Morgan Yacoe’s sculpture is inspired by human form, both inner and outer. Her collaborative work with the Medical Center of Virginia Commonwealth University, and her commissioned film projects, both present an opportunity to respond to the possibilities of life-ever-after, in the operating room, the studio or silver screen.

Amie Oliver, curator of this exhibition, is an artist and educator and a board member of 1708 Gallery.

A reception for Art among the Ruins will be held on Friday, September 2nd from 5 - 9 p.m.