Visual Field Automation
February 14, 2020 - March 19, 2020
Visual Field Automation is an exhibition from Artspace Warehouse that features works from James Kelsey, Gerhard Völkle, Sergei Inkatov, and Paul Kirley in a heuristic and forward-thinking exhibition that reflects on visual themes of futurism in contemporary art. This exhibition features high-polish stainless steel sculptures, selectively oxidized steel, and brilliant paintings with bright shapes and lines reminiscent of the tension and pace of our industrial world. These bodies of work demonstrate, a hundred years out from the futurists, how themes of industry, humanity, and questions for the future continue to play an important hand in contemporary art.
James Kelsey is a welder and sculptor based out of Port Orchard, Washington. Kelsey emphasizes the importance of the viewer in abstract art: “They need to call upon their own history, their thoughts, and what they already know to bring their own meaning to any particular sculpture.” In his characteristic chromed sculptures, it is easy to do just that, as the rounded shapes reflect the viewer. The fine polish of these industrial objects brings abject humanity to the artful but otherwise mechanical objects.
Exploring similar themes of industry and humanity, Gerhard Völkle uses rust painting to create his artworks. The employment of rust as a medium allows oxidation to take over each artwork and consequently creates an unpredictable, ever-changing surface. Silhouettes of figures emerge in Völkle’s work as the artist explores vulnerability and humanity through the degradation of such a seemingly impenetrable surface as steel.
Breaking light and color down into a field of expressionistic strokes, Sergei Inkatov’s emotional paintings are reminiscent of divisionism. Richly textured and vivid artworks radiate life and a balance of energy. Inkatov is an active member of the Russian Artists’ Union. The paintings sweep the viewer into a rush of line and movement with dark shadows and bright highlights leaving the viewer both melancholic and hopeful within the moody compositions.
Paul Kirley's process begins as a series of digital photographs. Iconic images, found objects, and stories are identified and cataloged, then, selections are combined yielding a narrative assemblage. The collage meets with hard mechanical lines to hold the viewer between material reality and dreamlike spaces. Kirley’s strong architectural lines bring softness to these vaguely cubist compositions as the view gets lost between a series of traditionally painted layers and gestures.
Visual Field Automation will open on February 15, 2020, and will close on March 20, 2020.
For more information please visit www.artspacewarehouse.com or email info@artspacewarehouse.com
