Join us for a panel discussion with the artists and curator of Coded:Coated on Saturday, October 16th at 2pm!

Coded:Coated, Guest Curated by Jay Wolke
In conjunction with the Filter Photo Festival
Riverside Arts Center, Freeark Gallery
Exhibition dates: September 9-October 16, 2021
Opening Reception: September 12, 3-6pm
Filter Photo Festival artist talk with Jonathan Castillo: Sunday, September 26th at 2pm

Gallery hours are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays 1-5pm.

Masks and social distancing are required.

“The way we make things impacts the way we perceive them. The power of materials to convey a balance of physical, cultural and personal signifiers determines and amplifies our connections to the built environment. The three artists presented here have deliberately manipulated substance and meaning in ways that interrogate not only subject matter, but also the strategies that influence our perceptions and responses to the artifacts we experience. Coded: Coated functions as an exercise in mystery and discovery, engaging viewers to decipher symbolism as conveyed through provocative applications of material production.” — Jay Wolke

Paul Somers’ art manifests itself in many forms ranging from sculptural objects to video and live performance. His pieces are based on a personal investigation of societal institutions and rituals and the exploration of their influence on our culture. His work evokes memories and feelings of childhood and questions the boundaries of masculinity within contemporary society. Somers wants to closely examine the disregarded and finds beauty in the disenfranchised. Through groupings of objects, material choices and the finishes, his work evokes the excitement of victory and the despair of loss.

Jonathan Castillo’s work is a critique of the American system of higher education, the US financial system and federal government policies that are creating generations of indebted citizens. His work utilizes portraits of those burdened with large amounts of student loans. It is printed on handmade paper, made from shredded US currency at a large scale and is representative of those individual’s total student loan debt. The scale and number of prints is a visualization of student loan debt, as well as a personal narrative of individuals who are directly affected by the results of profit driven schools and financial systems.

Material transformation is foundational to the work of Hannah Givler. With references to the metamorphosis of the naiad Daphne, Givler employs metals, plating, veneers, fibers and weaving to create illusory dissonance that drives the narratives in her work. Her pieces play with surface and misdirection, coded in the production of her artifacts. The overlapping of surfaces and substances makes these once fragile things hold together into cohesive objects that resist designation, suggesting multiple associations and readings.

Image: Hannah Givler, Pine Veneer Drape Plane

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Tags: Coded:Coated, Freeark Gallery, Hannah Givler, Jay Wolke, Jonathan Castillo, Paul Somers, Riverside, Riverside Arts Center