The Object

WHEN: February 10 – March 10, 2007

HOURS: TUESDAY – SATURDAY 11-6 or by appointment

OPENING RECEPTION: Saturday, February 10, 6-9 p.m.


The Object

Carl Berg Gallery is pleased to present a group show titled The Object. The exhibition will include 5 Southern California-based artists whose practice in object making ranges from the subtle to the obsessive. The exhibition includes L.A. veterans Lynn Aldrich, Steve DeGroodt and Alison Foshee and newcomers Jessica Minckley and Gwen Pool.

Sculpture is a medium that is defined by a wide set of parameters and may include a variety of media and approaches in the craft of art making. In some cases the creative process is completely conceptual; fully realized by the artist before the object is actually made. While in other cases the creative process is a joint application of concept and process.

In “The Object” the focus is on the actual physical art piece as seen through the hand and the mind of the artist. Each artist in this exhibition has a keenly developed individual set of skills that allows them to perform their practice. They create works that may be conceptual, delicate, metaphorical and/or humanistic but what unites this group as a whole is their interest in visual expression.

Lynn Aldrich continues her exploration of store bought materials using a labor-intensive process and accumulation of materials to compose artworks emphasizing the metaphors inherent in the material. Present is an authentic transcendence through the works via the materials that function in the area between abstraction and representation.

Steve DeGroodt carries on his exploration of the subtle interaction of material. Retaining their original identity his sculpture sets up poetic juxtapositions that allow DeGroodt to abstractly consider life’s subtext. DeGroodt often uses humble materials which inherent qualities often reflect a humanistic characteristic.

Alison Foshee’s obsessive works are crafted from an accrual of common everyday objects into wholly new forms. Unlike Lynn Aldrich’s metaphorical constructs Foshee creates objects that defy the materials original use.

Jessica Minckley’s sculptures are informed by cultural myths found in American history. She uses sculpture to simulate real materials and often integrates found objects or adds an element to create hybrids that represent those myths.

Gwen Pool’s sculptures are formed from an odd mix of materials creating magical fantasy worlds that are culled from her vivid imagination. Pool often depicts fairytale-like narratives using a unique integration of materials. This combination creates a lowbrow effect akin to the psychedelic television studio sets that can be found in a Sid and Marty Krofft series, such as HR Pufnstuf, a children’s television program from the 1970’s.

Contact information: Carl Berg: 323-931-6060