Specifically Yours, installation view, ground floor
Adam Henry, Untitled (trirec), 2012
Synthetic polymers and oil on linen
48 × 47 inches
Rory Mulligan, Untitled (Trash Can), 2009
Silver Gelatin Print
25 × 30 ½ inches framed
Rory Mulligan, Untitled (Envelope), 2008
Silver Gelatin Print
25 × 30 ½ inches framed
Specifically Yours, installation view, ground floor
Adam Henry, Untitled (sdx #2), 2012
Synthetic polymers on linen
63 × 51 inches
Adam Henry, Untitled (bst #1), 2012
Installation view
Synthetic polymers on linen
19 × 16 inches
Rory Mulligan, Untitled (Matchbook), 2008
Silver Gelatin Print
25 × 30 ½ inches framed
Adam Henry, Untitled (tcp #1), 2011
Synthetic polymers on linen
19 × 16 inches
Specifically Yours, installation view, ground floor
Alex Da Corte, Planks (Snake), 2012
Shelves, enamel paint, cord, nail
44 × 31 × 2 ½ inches
Alex Da Corte, Untitled (Gloved), 2012
Rubber and latex gloves, PVC pipe, foam
11 × 29 ½ × 15 inches
Specifically Yours, installation view, ground floor
Adam Henry, Double Spectrum, 2011
Synthetic polymers on linen
48 × 37 inches
“A work needs only to be interesting. Most works finally have one quality.”
—Donald Judd
Joe Sheftel is pleased to present “Specifically Yours” an exhibition of work by Alex Da Corte, Adam Henry, and Rory Mulligan. The gallery’s inaugural show begins with a reception on Sunday, January 15th from 6 to 8 pm, and continues through February 26, 2012.
The artists in this show are united in that their work addresses the role of the sculptural object on perception and the influence of materials in current art production. The sculptures by Alex Da Corte, paintings by Adam Henry, and photographs by Rory Mulligan all explore the role perception plays in our understanding of optics, atmosphere, sculpture, and of our immediate visual reality.
Alex Da Corte makes sculptures utilizing objects he finds in his post-industrial neighborhood of Kensington, Philadelphia. This apocalyptic landscape provides a blank slate for viewing mass-produced objects, removed from their context of domestic, advertising or industrial use. By painting a salvaged oversized Ice Cream Cone, Da Corte points out the veneration we give to the delicious and desirable. In hand-blowing a 2 liter soda bottle out of glass and filling it with orange shampoo, Da Corte replicates that which we take for granted in order to make the viewer stop, pay attention and care.
Similarly, Adam Henry utilizes painting to challenge our perceptions of how the world looks. Influenced by the practices of Alfred Jensen and Agnes Martin, and drawing on his Chicano background, Henry paints dissolving structures that invite the viewer to see the world through altered vision. Challenging what is possible in painted surfaces, Henry creates sculptural spaces within space. These spaces can be apprehended quickly, but are best appreciated over time.
Rory Mulligan is also interested in addressing the sculptural and impermanent aspects of everyday life in his analog black and white photography. He captures the image as a relief, one that takes the incidental atmospheric elements of a moment and stops them. By capturing the elusive, Rory allows us to see the magic and coincidence that is constantly around us. Mulligan develops and prints his own photos as part of his production process.