The 1946 Frank Capra film, It's A Wonderful Life, is a heartwarming holiday classic, right? Actually, the bulk of the film deals with despair, lack of hope, and the American Dream gone terribly awry. It's A Wonderful Life: Psychodrama in Contemporary Painting, on view at SPACES from March 19th through May 14th, takes a wry look at the human psyche through the work of artists who use surreal representation, sardonic humor, or private symbols to examine the paradoxes of life. This exhibition presents a kaleidoscopic spectrum of strange and provocative pieces by 24 artists. Psychologically charged imagery addresses complex issues, including death, sex, war, and the subconscious.

Join us for the opening reception on Friday, March 19th, from 5-9pm. As always, the reception and exhibition are free and open to the public. Free parking is available on the Superior Viaduct.

Curators Joanne Cohen (JRC Art Advisory) and Julie Langsam (Associate Professor of Painting at The Cleveland Institute of Art) chose images in which psychodrama plays out as an event, social interaction, or narrative. Henry Darger, the reclusive, privately prolific Chicago artist who died unknown in 1973, is the model for the curatorial choices of contemporary works with psychological and/or subversive themes. The artists represented are at various stages in their professional careers, from well-established to unaffiliated with a commercial gallery to appearing in the 2004 Whitney Biennial, with an age range spanning five decades. The definition of painting is broad, including two-dimensional works in a variety of media. In addition to Henry Darger, the exhibition features works by Geoffrey Bent (Glen Ellyn, IL), Craig Bungo (Cleveland, OH), Arthur Cohen (New York, NY), Marlene Dumas (Amsterdam, Holland), Marcel Dzama (Winnipeg, Canada), Inka Essenhigh (New York, NY), Thomas Frontini (Cleveland, OH), Elliott Green (New York, NY), Mark Greenwold (Albany, NY), Kojo Griffin (Atlanta, GA), Todd Hebert (Los Angeles, CA), David Humphrey (New York, NY), Terry McKelvey (Erie, PA), Elizabeth Olbert (Gorham, ME), Robyn O'Neil (Houston, TX), Christopher Reiger (Queens, NY), Clare Rojas (San Francisco, CA), Dana Schutz (New York, NY), Sandra Scolnik (New York, NY), Jason Sleurs (Brooklyn, NY), Angela Wyman (Los Angeles, CA), Karen Yasinsky (Baltimore, MD), and Jaymi Zents (Cleveland, OH).

SPECIAL EVENTS
On Wednesday, March 24th, join us for an evening of contemporary art, film, and conversation:

7:15pm Film Screening at Tower City Cinemas
Be among the first to see In the Realms of the Unreal, an innovative new feature-length documentary on legendary outsider artist Henry Darger, directed by Jessica Yu, presented by the Cleveland International Film Festival. Featuring music and animation, the film brings to life the strange imagination of a reclusive janitor turned visionary artist. The screening takes place at Tower City Cinemas. More info: www.clevelandfilm.org. Sponsored by Angle Magazine.

8:45pm Free reception & discussion at SPACES
Join critic and Angle editor Amy Bracken Sparks for an informal discussion of the work of Henry Darger as illuminated by Yu's film, as well as its role as the centerpiece of SPACES' It's A Wonderful Life. Curators Joanne Cohen and Julie Langsam join Sparks for animated conversation about some of the strange, troublesome, fascinating imagery in the exhibition. Refreshments will be served.

Friday, May 7th
7:30pm Panel Discussion: Sexual and Aggressive Themes in the Art of Henry Darger

In collaboration with

and The Association for Psychoanalytic Thought

Through the lens of Henry Darger’s enchanting and disturbing images, we attempt to understand his intra-psychic reality and its links to creativity.

Panelists
Vera J. Camden, PhD, is a Professor of English at Kent State University and a practicing psychoanalyst and faculty member at the Cleveland Psychoanalytic Center.
Julie Langsam is an artist, Associate Professor of Painting at The Cleveland Institute of Art, and co-curator of It’s A Wonderful Life.
Terry R. Tobias, PhD, is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology and Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University and a practicing psychotherapist.

The American Psychoanalytic Association and The Cleveland Psychoanalytic Center offer continuing education credit for attendance at this event. Registration is required only for those wishing to receive course credit. Please contact Teresa Gutierrez at tgutierrezz@earthlink.net for more information about registering for course credit.

Admission for credit is $10.
General admission is free.

SPACES is a non-profit, artist-run, alternative space gallery. Since 1978, SPACES has given over 7,500 artists in the visual and performing arts an arena in which to present challenging new ideas. SPACES is located at 2220 Superior Viaduct on the West side of the Flats. Superior Viaduct runs parallel to the Detroit Superior Bridge at the intersection of West 25th Street.

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