Join us at
323East this Saturday, July 9th from 6-11 pm for Beautiful
Monstrosities. The exhibition will feature new artwork from
Detroit artists, Audrey Pongracz
and April Segedi. Costumes are welcome but not
required.
"Preparing for this upcoming
show couldn't have been easier." – Audrey
Pongracz(Audrey Pongracz with one of her newest works)"I basically made a list of things I like. Words, objects,
events, dreams I've had, music etc. then sketched things that came to mind
when thinking about them. I wanted to take a break from all seriousness,
and just have fun. I found working on these pieces to be the most
therapeutic work Ive ever done. It actually felt like a subconscious
purging. Working so closely with April on the show has added to the
pleasantness. Her approach to her work and the overall innocence to it,
helped me remember to not get too controlling.
The theme grew on its own. We both
like the same things, and conversing about our obsessions it all came out
in the work."
"Placing no pressure on each
other we have created a collection of work that balances each
other."
– April
Segedi
(April Segedi and one of her new
creatures)
"The visual beauty of each work gives way to an
underlying darkness. Victorian beauty, Poison, dreams and fantasy play
roles in this exhibition. We allowed ourselves the most freedom in making
the work.
We want the viewer to really engage in the art. We are even going to ask
guests to come in costume. This will help the viewer to become a real part
of the show. They will be props themselves in our world."
In conjunction with the Beautiful Monstrosities
exhibition, 1xRUN has released a super-limited edition print of Audrey
Pongracz's painting, Memento Mori.
The title of this piece is an old saying, meaning 'remember
your mortality.'
The piece is basically based on pure imagery, like the rest
of the pieces for the upcoming show, Beautiful Monstrosities; mixing soft,
pretty things with dark, strange things. Here you have sickness and death,
symbolized by the Plague Doctors, and beauty and vitality, represented with
the girl.
It is this kind of juxtaposition that we find captivating,
and is the primary inspiration behind the Beautiful
Monstrosities exhibition. You can find this contrast in the
Victorian Era – an underlining darkness in an era of aesthetic
beauty, which is present in most of the pieces for the
show.
Poverty and Child Labor led to a high death rate for
children, and in turn made post mortem photos popular at the time. The
heavy use of opium as a household "cure-all" in Laudanum, and the many ill
uses of arsenic: from edible "complexion wafers," to the deadly pigment of
Emerald and Paris Green used in wallpaper and clothing; and the accidental
use of the poison as sugar, leading to hundreds ill and several
deaths… all while sitting proper and keeping the corsets
tight.
Details for
this RUN
Maximum Edition:
35
Dimensions: 15 x 22 inches
Print
Type: Giclée on 330gsm Archival Cotton
Available from: July 5 – July 12
We're looking
forward to seeing you at the reception!
Very Best,
Jesse Cory
jesse@323east.com
248-246-9544
