Bounce

Opening reception: Friday, May 15, 6 ? 9 pm
On view at SPACES: May 15 - July 10, 2015

Photo Catalogue Video Catalogue

Bounce can be a metaphor; a playful thing, a harsh thing, a violent thing, a silly thing, a frightening thing, a frustrating thing, an amusing thing?

Many things bounce: balls, checks, two lovers, autos, baby carriages, etc. A bouncer forcibly ejects an unruly person. A shopper gets bounced around a department store. Callers get bounced around automated telephone systems. Two or more disparate elements juxtaposed within an artwork can bounce the viewer 'within' the artwork.

Inherent to all these situations is a push/pull relationship, either literal (rise vs. fall) or metaphorical. In many societal conditions we are confronted with contradictory messages: eg consumption vs. conservation, violence vs. peace, sexy vs. prudish, self denial vs. gorging, religious piety vs. ignoring poverty, the list goes on. These contradictions bounce us from one extreme to another. It's enough to make any culture schizophrenic.

In a work of art, the meaning or understanding of the work is frequently a product of yet another type of bounce: a cognitive shift.

Often, there is a sudden realization which occurs when an artwork is considered. When a work is initially perceived as one thing and becomes another, or if it is at first confusing to a viewer but then resolves in their mind, a cognitive shift has occurred. Usually there is a deeper understanding of a work after this cognitive shift has occurred. Though often elusive it is this sweet spot, this cognitive shift ? which occurs through the arc of the bounce - which we crave as artists.

And sometimes our bounces are simply comedic.

As Freud said, sometimes a bounce is just a bounce.

RELATED EVENT
July 10, 8 pm - 10 pm: Bounce This! with Chris Auerbach-Brown and Bbob Drake.