April 18th - April 28th
REVOLVE + RAMP in conjunction with Western Carolina University presents two MFA Candidate Exhibitions:
In the Project Space: Zachary Rogers - Curiosity
In the RAMP Gallery: Brendan Best - Clay in Color
Opens on April 18th with a reception for the artists
Saturday April 21st from 4pm - 6pm
Curiosity
Zachary Rogers
Statement
As traditional museum dynamics have shifted from primarily visual engagement with artifacts to a multisensory experience, the interaction between the viewer and the object has changed. On the part of museums, the goal has been to move away from previous conceptions of the institution as an elite environment where touching was forbidden and people spoke in whispers to an inclusive place of exploration and discovery. This has opened up possibilities for more active engagement with the objects, which has encouraged the visitor to become a participant, rather than a spectator. Nevertheless, the museum and, in particular, museum curators remain the arbiters of what is displayed and its manner of presentation. My fascination with the practices of museums serves as a source of inspiration for the work exhibited here.
By creating sculptural assemblages using found, manipulated and cast objects that are arranged in displays influenced by Cabinets of Curiosities, a popular form of categorizing and presenting collections in the sixteenth through the nineteenth centuries, my work invites the viewer to reflect on the influence museums have on the viewing experience. The individual pieces explore how fabricated artifacts along with an invented narrative, when displayed using the techniques employed by museums, might be accepted as authentic due solely to their manner of presentation, which confers legitimacy on the artifacts regardless of whether the work is displayed in a public place such as a museum or library or in a private setting such as a club or parlor. My work underscores the need for awareness of the role played by the museum: even when the changes to the visitor’s experience are considered positive, the decisions made by the museum still affect the viewer’s assessment of the cultural and historical value of the artifacts on display.
Bio
Zachary is a North Carolina based artist. After earning a degree in Metal Design at East Carolina University and working for a few years in galleries, he is working on receiving his Masters of Fine Art degree in Sculpture from Western Carolina University. Zachary currently lives in Sylva, NC where he plans on furthering his skill as an artist and fine art preparator. He has had his work shown both internationally and all over North Carolina, and incorporates a wide array of three-dimensional practices and display techniques in his work.
Clay in Color
Brendan Best
Statement
My work investigates the role of the human body and its physical and psychological limits in producing meaning in the artistic process. Enthralled by the body’s kinesthetic functions, sports psychology, and physical training of the human body, I continue to develop and execute art making in this repetitive training approach. Focusing on how to best manipulate the body to perform, simulating methods of training as an athlete assists physical relation between artist and material. Utilizing the body’s reaction and interaction with material on a constant level, imposing few simple aesthetic constraints on creation, art training is obtained. The rigor and extent that an artist is willing to train him or herself, not only mentally and conceptually, but also physically and technically is evident in the marks made. The endeavor that the artist’s body has endured to create a work attracts and captivates the viewer and he/she may too, feel the struggle in the energy, tenacity and strength of the piece. I attest that the process of art making must be documented as an experience of conquering skills and concepts, highlighting opportunities seized by artists. Evidence of the reflexive expression training, put in action as an event.
Bio
Stemming from a BFA earned at Western Colorado State University where I was a dual athlete in wrestling and football. Earning my MFA at Western Carolina University I continue my practice; as an artist of physicality and intensity, creating objects, paintings, drawings, environments, and events. I intend to spread the knowledge of art making, highlighting dynamic movement of materials and the makers body. I take my practice very seriously in order to progress, gaining knowledge of creating that I enjoy to ultimately return to inquisitive minds. I seek physical release through artistic exertion and I intend my work to inspire viewers to find their own sense of release.
