Platypus

Group exhibition Curated by Augusto Arbizo Beth Campbell Enrico David Kim Fisher Maurice Ganis Kirk Hayes John Hodany Michael Minelli Laura Mosquera

Lawrence Rubin Greenberg Van Doren Fine Art is pleased to present a group exhibition of 8 young and emerging artists from U.S. and abroad. Curated by Augusto Arbizo, PLATYPUS will be on view from June 6 - July 20, 2001.

Brooklyn conceptual artist Beth Campbell is represented in the show by her witty text drawings. In each meandering tree-like drawing, she ponders her ‘potential future based on present circumstances’.

London based Italian artist Enrico David depicts single semi-abstract figures in his paintings. These strange characters are based partly on fashion magazine images as well as Art-Deco sources. Pictured on brightly colored fabric grounds, these stylized ‘models’ are drawn with needle, fabric, and thread.

Los Angeles based painter Kim Fisher makes large scale monochromatic paintings that are subtly marked with obscure fashion insignias (Pierre Cardin and Courreges). Painted on crisp brown linen, Fisher’s work pursues a sincere dialogue between fashion, pure abstraction, and beauty.

Greek artist Maurice Ganis makes small, surrealistic paintings that marry a personal narrative with popular culture in general and art history in particular. Ganis has described his narrative as a ‘trip through a dark but artificially lit building in (his) mind’.

Dallas artist Kirk Hayes and Brooklyn painter John Hodany make iconic works that are filled with word play and symbolism. Both are technical wizards who employ trompe l’oeil effects and faux finishes in their meticulously crafted paintings.

In his collage drawings, Los Angeles artist Michael Minelli plays connect-the-dots with various celebrities, and fictional characters from TV and film. But far from setting up the usual ‘degrees-of-separation’ scenario, he instead imagines the strange connections and dialogues that occur among these personas.

Laura Mosquera, who lives and works in Chicago, depicts groups of people set within seemingly ambiguous and brightly painted settings. These ‘players’ and settings are actually based on photographs taken at art parties and openings.

The Platypus is a semi-aquatic, partly deaf and almost blind, web-footed, egg-laying mammal, with a snout resembling a duck’s bill. When the English first landed in Australia, they discovered many animals which they found to be new and strange to them, including the Platypus.