Air (Elements)
Detail of "Untitled (Roll #11)" by Cat Glennon--digital inkjet photo, 8x10 inches, 2016
Air (Elements) | Silence Is Accurate
October 19 - November 5, 2016
chashama at XOCO 325 by DDG
325 W Broadway
New York, NY
(between Grand and Canal)
Nearest Trains: A, C, E, N,Q, R
Open Hours: Tuesday - Sunday, 12- 6pm*
* 11/3-5, hours will be extended until 7pm.
“The ‘Theory of the Five Element’ is simply an observation of natural, creative changes; and it is the natural world confirming that all forces and energies in nature can be in constant smooth and harmonious transition from one phase to another - just as one season 'becomes' the next” - Nationsonline.org
Elements are fundamental to the existence and well-being of the Earth and spirit.
The Western world describes the ‘classic’ elements (Earth, Water, Air, and Fire) as different energies or patterns in nature on Earth. Ancient Chinese philosophy believes the elements consist of Wood, Earth, Water, Fire, and Metal. Air is omitted.
While the 'classic' elements are believed to be natural materials or qualities, Chinese philosophy considers the five elements to be energy. Their philosophy focuses on process and change--their elements are in a constant state of interaction and flow with each other.
Through nature-inspired, process-driven works, fusing 'classic' and Chinese beliefs, Air (Elements) explores the flow and interaction of elements as well as the dynamic shift which occurs when air is included as a sixth element.
The doctrine of five phases (elements) describes two cycles of balance between the phases (see below for the breakdown of each cycle): a "generating" or "creation" cycle and an "overcoming" or "destruction" cycle.
Generating/Creation Cycle
Wood feeds fire;
Fire creates earth (ash);
Earth bears metal;
Metal collects water;
Water nourishes wood.
Overcoming/Destruction Cycle
Wood parts earth;
Earth absorbs water;
Water quenches fire;
Fire melts metal;
Metal chops wood.
The layout of the artists' work is based off the latter, "Overcoming Cycle."
About the Artists:
Nicolas Holiber (Wood) is a Brooklyn based artist and educator who paints, sculpts, and creates public artwork. Completing his MFA at the New York Academy of Art in 2012, he was awarded a Postgraduate Fellowship the following year. Holiber's art is characterized by its unique use of materials and vivid use of color, creating multidimensional works that combine painting, drawing, and sculpture. Recent projects and awards include public commissions for the NYC Parks Department, Bloomfield College (NJ), and LMCC’s Process Space Residency Program on Governors Island. His work has been highlighted in the Huffington Post, Arte Fuse, Hyperallergic, Beautiful/Decay, and Rizzoli's book The Figure: Painting, Drawing, and Sculpture.
Cat Glennon (Wood) is a visual artist, working in performance and two-dimensional media, exploring the tension between the perceived and the portrayed self. Her work has been shown in California, Chicago, and New York. She was recently an artist-in-residence at Wassaic Artist Residency, Wassaic, NY and Starry Night Artist Residency, Truth or Consequences, NM. Glennon lives and works in New York City. She earned her B.F.A from Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY.
Jarrod Beck (Earth) occupied the Cape Cod National Seashore in 2012 with the first in a series of processions and installations called "Cinerum." "Balance, (2013)" was hosted by the US Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela. A monograph about the project, published by FAU Editions, will be released this summer. The Anti-Defamation League commissioned "Broken Open" in Omaha, Nebraska and Beck won the Clare Weiss Emerging Artist Award in 2014 for "Uplift." His drawings are in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Beck's 2015 collaborations include a series of prints and a score for sculpture created with the choreographer Will Rawls, an installation for performance artist John Kelly's "Love of a Poet," and a series of prop-sculptures for the choreographer Jon Kinzel. Beck lives and works in New York City and Terlingua, TX. He earned a M.Arch degree from Tulane University and a MFA from the University of Texas at Austin.
Katte Geneta’s (Water) work is characterized by limited palettes and forms that evoke quietude and stillness. Katte's work is in international private collections and has been shown nationally, including at NURTUREart Gallery (New York, NY), Governors Island Art Fair (New York, NY), Edward Hopper House (Nyack, NY), and Garrison Art Center (Garrison, NY). Geneta lives and works in New York City. She has received a New York State Certificate of Merit and was honored to be part of the Visiting Artists and Scholars Program at the American Academy in Rome.
Erik Otto’s (Water) work is a discovery of the unknown. Exploring life’s constant inquiry into being and becoming. Utilizing a variety of materials spanning from traditional paintings to mixed-media sculptures and installations, fleeting moments of change and discovery are depicted and reinvented continually in his work. With over 10 years of experience, Otto has held exhibitions in San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, Mexico City, and Vancouver. On top of producing commissioned work for notable clients and collectors, Otto was selected for both the SF Recology Artist-in-Residence Program, VSCO Artist Initiative Grant and had work featured in the most recent YBCA Bay Area Now. Otto completed his largest painting commission to date for the Grand Hyatt San Francisco’s permanent collection. Otto currently lives and works in San Francisco and travels frequently to Mexico City and New York City. He received his BFA in Illustration from San Jose State University.
Adam Lupton (Fire) explores personal and social psychology in contemporary society. Working with oil paint, Lupton probes the internal and external narrative--he is deeply interested in the psychological resonance his paintings have when he is not present in the room. Lupton currently lives and works in New York City. He holds his Bachelors of Communication Design from Emily Carr University of Art and Design, and his Master of Fine Arts from the New York Academy of Art.
Kate M. Blomquist (Metal) (b. Milwaukee, WI) received an MFA from the Mason Gross School of Arts at Rutgers University. Her work has been exhibited at Regina Rex, NYC; Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL; Kilroy Metal Ceiling, Brooklyn, NY; and Dress Shop Gallery, Brooklyn, NY, among others. She has attended residencies at Vermont Studio Center and SPACE on Ryder Farm, and her work was featured in New American Paintings, Issue #123. Kate lives and works in New York.
Sui Park’s (Air) work involves creating 3-dimensional organic forms mostly in generic and biomorphic shapes. They represent transitions and transformations in nature. Moreover, through these shapes she attempts to express the seemingly static, yet dynamic, characteristics of our evolving lives. Park's shapes capture the subtle but continuous changes in our emotions, sentiments, memories, and expectations. Park’s work has shown nationally. She was selected as an artist-in-residence at Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT and the 'Recent Graduate Residency Program’ at Brooklyn Art Space, Brooklyn, NY. Park lives and works in New York City. She earned an MDES in Interior Architecture at Rhode Island School of Design, BFA in Environmental Design at Maryland Institute College of Art, as well as an MFA and BFA in Fiber Arts at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, Korea.
About the Curator:
Portia Makoma, a New York-based art curator and consultant, founded Silence Is Accurate (SIA). Both an intimate, transparent, art buying experience from a curated group of contemporary artists and an online art gallery that presents collectors with original artworks created by some of our generation’s most exciting artists, SIA also fuses art and meditation by transforming spaces into immersive mindful art escapes and innovative occasions where visitors can gather to learn, share, and grow as a community.
For more information, visit Silence Is Accurate or contact: info@silenceisaccurate.com
