Opening Reception for REWRITTEN, featuring Max Steven Grossman, Paul Rousso & James Verbicky

About

When separated from their original context, objects can be reconstructed to serve an entirely new purpose. Artists Max Steven Grossman, Paul Rousso, and James Verbicky use this concept through their artistic processes and various mediums. Each working with identifiable imagery, they thoughtfully reassemble fragments of various media to rewrite a brand-new dialogue with the viewer.

Max Steven Grossman meticulously composes unique combinations of miscellaneous books and albums on shelves, transporting viewers to momentarily absorb themselves in the stillness of his assembled "libraries". Through the use of treasured book titles and references to iconic themes, he captures echoes of conclaves amidst these anthologies, rendering the personal conversations they evoke in observers anew with each viewing. By chronicling books as portals for curiosity, he redefines them as visual art.

Paul Rousso creates works that embody discernible items from consumer goods to mainstream media on an exaggerated scale, underscoring those on the verge of obsoletion such as paper currency, print advertising, newspapers, and magazines. Using heat infusion on acrylic, Rousso molds his subject matter into dynamic sculptures, mixing the opposing worlds of the flat and dimensional, thereby giving these objects new life. With influences ranging from the New York Times to Campbell's Soup Can, he explores the theoretical limits of art and art history, converging traditional and modern textures, yet highlighting their unrelenting divergence in meaning.

James Verbicky uses vintage and current media clippings, dissecting them to generate new messages and stories, while also solidifying the voices and visions of the past. His ‘Media Paintings’ bridge the gap between sculpture and painting by binding fragments of vintage media to one another within layers of resin, melding language and imagery together. By unearthing and layering the remnants of numerous generations, the artworks transcend simple words and images, and instead become objects that contain the essence of human culture and our consciousness.

REWRITTEN is on display through June 17, 2023.