Dropped into Pete's show's opening night and was so glad I did. The exhibit is a collection of collections, of thrift store and found objects. Originally, I was pretty skeptical about seeing the show; although I love vintage memorabilia and "junk" as much as the next gurl, I thought it might just be a let down.
Boy, was I wrong. Pete's editing, eye, sense of aesthetic and juxtaposition were top notch. The presentation and placement of the pieces were really well thought out, not to mention the actual "junk" itself. An overall symbiotic sense of America and it's surreal waste pervaded the exhibit. Each selection made sense and flowed nicely from one to another. Some were bunches of the same thing, like old chess pieces and some were single items, spotlighted for their unusual (or just usual) specialness. Cast out photos, bizarre in their flavor, spoke loudly to my own personal sense of the strange and beautiful. The arrangement of multiple items was artistically perfect, unique to itself. Old View-Master disks were sensibly displayed on top of a wall mounted light box.
Off the wall, symbolic, fun, nostalgic, beautiful and weird - this exhibit is a must see. Words and pictures cannot begin to touch on the wondrous variety of the presentation, no way can you judge this book by it's cover! Pete has a sympatico mindset to the unreal reality of consumption, a sarcastic wit, a sensitivity to the frailty of human mortality and a keen eye. All of which enable new visions of art and commentary, where once before it was just a bunch of old dice. Don't miss this show!
Pete, caught triple fisted!
Exhibit dates: (May 29-July 4, 2010)
