•
an
exhibition space committed to
making contemporary art accessible
location: 1702 lincoln
avenue | c/o offramp gallery | pasadena ca 91103
hours:
fri, sat& sun 1p to 5p | and
by appointment
phone: 3 2 3 . 2 2 5 . 2 2 2 9
CURRENT
EXHIBITION
10.10.10
to 11.06.10
STEVEN HAMPTON: Never Forget
artist reception: sun 10.10.10 | 4p to 7p
artist talk: sat 11.06.10 | 3p to 5p
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Project_210
is pleased to present Never Forget, a solo exhibition by Los
Angeles painter Steven Hampton. By bringing together the divergent
aesthetics of Kitsch and Abstract Expressionism, Steven Hampton seeks to make
painting a shared experience. In the aftermath of disasters, Americans often
mourn through the collective consumption of kitsch objects. Think of tacky commemorative
plates, T-shirts and snow globes bought by tourists while visiting Ground Zero
in New York City. If Abstract Expressionist painting was to be mourned, could
it not also be memorialized inside a snow globe? Steven Hampton has done exactly
that, creating miniature Abstract Expressionist tableaux inside fully functional
snow globes. These objects complement his newest paintings, which address the
connection between disaster and kitsch in our culture and kitsch as the antithesis
of Abstract Expressionist painting in Modernist Theory. With or without any
understanding of this theory, Steven Hampton’s exhibition tempts us into
shaking the snow globes and in doing so, makes us willing participants in the
often non-participatory realm of Abstract Expressionist painting.
