Megan Stroech: Loose Connections
@ Plaines Project
1822 S Desplaines St, Chicago, IL
Opening Saturday, August 31st, from 6PM - 9PM
On view through Saturday, September 7th
The Plaines Project is excited to present Loose Connections, an exhibition of new work by Megan Stroech.
“My work is about a common impulse: The anthropomorphizing of non-representational objects and shapes. I am fascinated by the tendency to assign human capacities like joy and aggression to patches of color and textured elements of collage. I construct unfamiliar arrangements of low-grade, readily available materials, subverting conventional understanding of their utility in order to spur new conversation between them. I am seeking a discomforting balance between whimsy and aggression, fully anticipating the viewer’s identification with the range of feelings evident in the work.
Recently while in residence at Anderson Ranch Arts Center, I began to utilize the floor in conjunction with the wall in order to suggest a greater narrative between space and object, but also painting and sculpture. Through employing specific color and formal relationships that mimic human interaction, I seek to create a shift between a material’s perceived use and meaning. By incorporating the floor of the gallery space, the viewer is invited to interact with each piece more directly, whether it be crouching down or standing tiptoed to discover hidden details in the work. Areas of paint on the wall breech the border onto the floor, shifting from a figurative or object-like reference to a flat map-like space that the viewer may investigate from a separate viewpoint.
In my work, I assign human traits to patches of color and elements of collage. Through careful arrangement of shapes and by subverting the known qualities of recognizable scraps from daily life, this work invites the viewer to identify with emotions manifested by these unlikely ‘players’. In presenting this range of feelings, relying on the quirkiness and surprise of this ‘theater’ setting, I intend to spark and highlight for the viewer, both positive and negative instances of recognition and reflection.”
The opening reception is Saturday, August 31st from 6-9 pm. The show will run until Saturday, September 7. Open hours are by appointment.
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Tags: Megan Stroech, Pilsen, Plaines Project
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