ADAM CVIJANOVIC at the Bellwether Gallery, NY, until 3 Jul

Exhibition Description:

In ADAM CVIJANOVIC’s fourth solo exhibition at the gallery, he has transformed the main exhibition space into a stage set. Cvijanovic surrounds his viewers with theater flats depicting his interpretation of a scene from D.W. Griffith’s epic film, Intolerance, in which tens of thousands of Babylonians are overcome with the realization that they are about to be invaded by the Persians.

Painted in a purple grisaille evocative of silent film, Cvijanovic has used his favored medium of Flashe and latex paint on Tyvek. This gigantic painting installation explores themes of aspiration, ruin, cultural evolution, and the folly of creative hubris.

In addition to the main installation the exhibition will contain two other components; a triptych painting of the rural, wild landscape of Hollywood as it was nearly a century ago, with Griffith’s set dominating the background, and a room of storyboard-style paintings on Mylar depicting scenes from Intolerance to contemporary scenes of Los Angeles.

The overall effect is of a collapse in time, in which the dramatic deterioration of Griffith’s vision is aligned with the less spectacular, but more profound, societal transformation of Hollywood.

Description:

The theme that pervades this exhibition can be applied across a range of eras and subjects, from Cvijanovic's own struggle with his ambitions and creative ego, to the present-day conflict in Iraq – the modern-day Babylon. While, the artist does not propose a reconciled solution to this issue, he opts instead to meditate upon the complex emotional and political implications of our choices as people and as nations.

Adam Cvijanovic has exhibited extensively internationally, including solo exhibitions at numerous notable institutions. Cvijanovic will also be participating in the upcoming PROSPECT.1 Biennial in New Orleans, and the Liverpool Biennial at Tate Liverpool.

Full Contact Details:

134 Tenth Avenue, New York, NY 10011
between 18th and 19th Streets
Gallery hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 am-6 pm
Phone: 212-929-5959
Fax: 212-929-5912
Email: info. at. bellwethergallery.com