In carnival fashion, with Julius Fučík’s Entrance of the Gladiators playing in the background, step right up to Ryan Standfest’s sideshow exhibition!
“Presenting a tedious slapdash compendium of half-baked satirical dispatches from a euphoric cynic. Behold the exuberant despair of feverishly poking a dead body with a diminutive stick. Observe the eradication of good will, with the sound of bone rubbing on bone. Witness the freedom orgy buckling under the weight of its own pleasure. Join the intransigent slouching march into abundant morass. See the gentle froth of modest outrage circling the drain. Experience the routine pitter-patter of mordant amusement. Know that you will not find here the equivalent of perfume-marinated plastic flowers in an incense-infused padded room. This is the cheap paperback version of an exhibition that asks: how can I make certain the non-survival of my species?”
The title of this show presumably comes from a quote where, upon losing his teeth, Samuel Beckett declared, “There’s nothing so bad that it can’t grow worse.” With gums tinted in red, white and blue, Standfest asserts the US is all bark and no bite? Dimensions weren’t provided on this piece but it’s large and dominates the space.
Standfest has devoted a wall to illustrated harsh twists on promotional soundbites common in the post WWII economic expansion of the middle class. This piece personally resonates as a working creative and is less caustic than some of the other offerings. The schmeared, dripping pigment illudes this might be an actual relic rather than recently produced.
Well, thank god. I’m not terribly interested in acquiring genuine vomit. Particularly of the projectile variety.
Matchbooks used to be so ubiquitous, we incorporated them into everyday discourse. “He’s so dumb you can fit everything he knows on a matchbook cover”. They became collectible as fancy hotels and restaurants took decorating them to an artform. The days of Pax Americana, where a late 2-martini lunch preceded dipping out of work early to drive your gas-guzzling Chevrolet home to suburbia for the weekend, have faded. A lot of white males may wax nostalgic about the Mad Men era, but the human evolution toward inclusion brings innovation, expansion of culture and a healthier sense of belonging to the larger whole. Although Standfest has a point not to get too enthusiastic about an America that may have lost some of its brawn, he still manages to pair promising contradictions to his despondent musings.
On view through March 25th at Hatch Art 3456 Evaline, Hamtramck
*images are mine
directly quoted artist statement
**Big shout out to Laura Earle for subscribing at the Founding Member level. Laura has been an unstoppable force assembling and curating some of Detroit’s most talented women into several large installation exhibitions including WomxnHouse and Environmentally Speaking at the Janice Charach Gallery. Thank you!
SHOWS OPEN THIS WEEKEND
Brain Candy Monday the 21st only