This month’s First Friday brings us psychedelic music, military commentary and glittery computer graphics. Mix that with the free wine and cheese offered at most of these Old City galleries and try to find a reason not to stop by the openings of November’s most promising shows.
LGTripp Gallery 47 N. 2nd St. It’s a wild and crazy world out there, and it’s the artist’s job to try to make sense of it all. In a duo exhibition by Philadelphia artists Matthew Stemler and Raphael Fenton–Spaid, LGTripp Gallery highlights the beauty of this rather overwhelming venture. Stemler’s site–specific installation, "Floatsam," uses a flood not only as a representation of human achievement, but also as a space for contemplation. Moving past the fact that Stemler was somehow able to construct this catastrophic event within the frame of an art gallery, the exhibition powerfully conveys the intersection between nature and engineered structures. In addition to the columns and sculptures (including a tortoise) that make up "Floatsam," several of Stemler’s drawings are scattered around the gallery.
Working with an even more monumental topic in his exhibit titled “John Doe Puzzles,” Fenton–Spaid explores the media’s representation of military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan. By manipulating images of the conflicts in a manner that strips them of the horrors generally associated with war, he questions the ability of the media to convey the true story behind the pictures. Fenton–Spaid challenges the viewer to find the conflict within the abstracted, candy–colored tiles that make up his work, and to take that same level of scrutiny to the military involvements themselves. —Eillie Anzilotti
Projects Gallery 629 N. 2nd St. In “Two Brothers — Two Profiles” the psyches of Ira and Len Upin are juxtaposed on the walls of the Projects Gallery. Through almost completely opposite styles (Len’s black and white simplicity versus Ira’s saturated, colorful paint) the siblings present their struggles as they approach retirement and old age.
Len, returning to art after ending his teaching career due to illness, brings us paintings of nearly photographic realism to expose a human spirit crippled by physical pain. Ira’s complex, colorful compositions about a healthy, productive man accepting the obstacles of basic aging contrast beautifully with Len’s simple portraits. Through two different lenses, the Upin brothers question and confront perhaps the most daunting part of life — its slowly approaching but certain end. Next to each other, their paintings emphasize how no two growing experiences are identical; yet, they exclaim on canvas, it’s never too late for us to give meaning to our lives. —Isabel Oliveres
Space 1026 1026 Arch St. If you’re looking for some tunes to accompany your art, Space 1026 has got you covered. Along with the work of Tim Kerr, member of notorious '80s hardcore band The Big Boys, the opening of “Our Schedule is Change” will feature live music performed by psychedelic, experimental drone artist Zomes. Also on display will be works by artists that Kerr met while traveling.
Kerr’s work examines the themes of social justice, people’s history and community. His images of wrinkled blue faces and midsized hands are not photorealistic, instead carrying a pastel comic–book aesthetic. The people portrayed, some of whom are famous (see if you can spot Pete Seeger), are accompanied with text and quotes such as “Participation: that’s what’s going to save the human race.” Kerr vocalizes a message of social change and unhappiness — an especially pointed one in today’s “Occupy Wharton” climate. While his drawing style prevents him from getting too serious, Kerr raises some issues worth talking about. And hey, there will be music, there will be art and where the two collide there's a guaranteed good time. —Isaac Kaplan
James Oliver Gallery 723 Chestnut St. Known for portraits of death–row inmates, Nick Cassway has shifted toward a lighter but no less complex topic: the facial expressions of his comrades as they socialize. In “The Indulgencies,” human faces composed of computer–cut vinyl with ink drawings on different textures including gold, chrome and glitter pop out from solid, one–dimensional backdrops. A piece called The Dinner Party emphasizes dining while forming deep connections with a community, while The Sleepers takes a vastly different approach and portrays the exposed, defenseless and solitary state of sleep. By stressing the commonalities that thread humans together, Cassway hits a note of untailored happiness in the mundane joys of life. He proves in his graffiti–esque prints that not all artists have to suffer, at least not with friends like these. —Anna Pan
