Back in The Hole for a third solo exhibition, Adam Parker Smith presents Let's Celebrate this Saturday, October 26th. After focusing on ancient Greece mythology in previous shows, Smith explores more art history and plays with contemporary visuals.
The new showcase features nine sculptures that bastardize the cheerful symbols of happiness and optimism in a most elegant way. Built from existing objects that hold universally recognizable meaning, Smith's experiments cast a new light on the 'lighter-than-air' symbols of love, confinement, care, and innocence. Bouncy balloons are pierced Hell Raiser-style, tied up Shibari-style, squashed between slabs of monumental marble, squeezed through concrete blocks or simply melted into their sophisticated pedestal. Impeccably made from cast resin, steel, urethane, wood, laminate, with a solid coat of car paint on top, they elevate the bar for sculptural work in both a technical and conceptual sense.
While most viewers will recognize obvious nods to Koons, and references to lesser-known works by Charles Ray and Jose Davila appear. Captured while unexpectedly interacting with the archetypal elements of the traditional format, each piece makes a serious sculptural play while flexing the muscles of fabrication and ability to manipulate materials of all kinds.
On the same night, The Hole will be opening a mixed media exhibition by Tara Subkoff, as well as a small secret backroom show of new drawings by Aurel Schmidt.
