April 08, 2011

Agronomists Respond to NE Ohio's Hunger for Art & Food

Cleveland, OH, April 8, 2011—Think of SPACES Gallery's upcoming exhibit, "Farmed: the New Agronomists" as the ideal marriage between art and local agriculture.

The exhibition addresses the themes of production of food on farms, big and small, from produce to end-products ranging from fresh veggies on our plates to the cotton in our t-shirts. Although the image of farming has become romanticized by many, that is not the case here. Artists will address the harsh realities of the economics, genetic and environmental concerns that farmers address daily.

Another intriguing aspect of Farmed: The New Agronomists is SPACES' plan to encourage participation and involvement of local food organizations and farmers by integrating tours and speaking engagements led by these organizations as part of the exhibition.

Artists participating in the exhibition include Michael Mercil who planted The Beanfield, a project in partnership with the Wexner Center for the Arts, the OSU Department of Art Living Cultural Initiative and the Social Responsibility Initiative in the College for Food, Agriculture and Environmental Studies.

Sara Rabinowitz, the Fibers Coordinator and Visiting Professor in the Fibers Department at the University of Oregon will also be represented. Rabinowitz, who has been raising silkworms and humanely harvesting their silk for her practice centers her work around fibers and weaving as a means to and metaphor for social interaction.

Collaborating with many artists and writers who share concerns and interest in art, the environment, labor and value, Nannette Yannuzzi-Macias has been working on gathering intimate details of daily life as an artist and mother. From collecting her own washing machine lint, to her son's and daughter's nail clippings, she has created daily drawings produced within a finite period of days all the while obtaining an audio feed from a recorder worn at her wait as she went about her work (Audio Days, 2000). She has also compiled time-based images over several months from two stationary cameras positioned within her home (Video Days, 2000).

Turkish-born media artist and designer Arzu Ozkal's work may be grouped under the interpretation of body and its relationship to the environment as she attempts to emancipate the body from social and culture norms suggesting ways to distance one's self from the societal limits imposed by totalitarian establishments.

Amy Youngs' biological art, interactive sculptures and digital media rounds off the exhibition with works that explore the complex relationship between technology and the changing concept of nature and self. She has published several essays including one on genetic art . She is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Art at The Ohio State University.

Exhibition: May 13 ? July 10, 2011
Opening Reception: Friday, May 13, 6:00 ? 9:00 p.m.

Download the full press release and image packet:
http://spacesgallery.org/files/pr/2011/110408_spaces_farmed_press_packet.zip

Download the full press release alone (131K) »
http://spacesgallery.org/files/pr/2011/110408_spaces_farmed_pr.pdf