Involving Violence
School 33 Art Center
February 20 – April 11, 2009
Curated by Lasso's Karin Patzke and Carrie Ruckel
Artists include:
Ramsey Barnes, Gerecho Delaney, Matthew Freel, Brook Halvorson, John Morris, Diane Ramos, Marilee Schumann, Alan Lerner, Regina Mamou, Sari Maxfield, Joe Sikora, Jason Stec, Krista Wortendyke
Opening Reception: Friday, February 20, 2009 | 6 – 9 pm | 7pm gallery talk
Gallery Talk with Involving Violence Curators and Artists
Saturday, Feb. 21 | 2 – 3pm
Please join the curators of Involving Violence along with participating artists from Baltimore and Chicago for an in depth discussion about the exhibition's content and how issues Involving Violence effect individuals, communities, and society as a whole. This event is free and open to the public.
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
Involving Violence features thirteen artists, mostly from the Chicago and Baltimore areas, whose work addresses issues of violence and hostility that disrupt daily life. As consumers, Americans are constantly bombarded with glamorous and violent images in the media and popular culture. Aggression manifests itself in many different situations and the show avoids creating a hierarchy of violence by juxtaposing images and objects that approach the subject in a variety of ways.
The artists featured in the exhibition explore issues such as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, gun violence, police brutality and sexual assault. From combative sports to law enforcement to self-defense, this exhibition explores the proximity of violence to our daily lives and the difficulty in distinguishing if and when acts of force are necessary. Involving Violence hopes to draw attention to these situations and engage the viewer by questioning the actions and motivations of ourselves and others.
This show was first presented by Lasso in September 2007 in Chicago, and has been relocated to Baltimore with additional artists from the Mid-Atlantic to create a dialogue between residents of the two cities. Lasso hopes to continue a vibrant exchange of ideas in Baltimore at School 33 Art Center concerning the many present issues of cruelty that abound in the United States.
ABOUT THE CURATORS
LASSO is an informal collaboration between Chicago based artists and curators Carrie Ruckel and Karin Patzke. Currently, Lasso is a part time venture, proposing group exhibitions to other art spaces, but from 2007-08, Lasso Gallery was originally located at the Butcher Shop, a mixed-use exhibition space in Chicago. Prior to founding Lasso, Ruckel and Patzke collaborated on various projects for venues in Chicago including the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art and Elastic Vision Gallery. Through their curatorial practice, Lasso engages the art community in contemporary social and cultural issues through exhibitions, lectures and events.
School 33 Art Center
1427 Light Street | Baltimore, MD 21230 | 410-396-4641
Gallery Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 10 – 4 pm | Thursday 10 – 7 pm | Saturday 12 – 4 pm
