Friday, May 13, 2011

May Artist Suspends Pies in Frame 301





May 16, 2011 - The Montserrat College of Art Galleries is pleased to present Alexander Farrell’s Frame 301 installation, Destined to fail/Destined for sale, curated by Lydia Gordon. Inspired by the Housing Crises, Farrell converts the Frame 301 window into a platform for selling pies. Coupled with for-sale markers, the artist-made pastries are displayed like real estate items in an attempt to break down societal issues, engage viewers, and encourage conversation.

Through the installation of joint building materials and food objects, the artists challenges the root of the Housing Crises. Relying greatly on the material’s ability to resonate and connect with itself, Farrell uses jagged wood pieces, for-sale pies, and a site-specific installation method to investigate the cause and effect of the “housing bubble”. A sculptural mass of wood and hardware lines Frame 301’s back wall, enhancing the viewer’s looking experience with Destined to fail/Destined for sale’s three-dimensional composition. Considering the pie’s association with precious traditionalism and Americanism, experiencing them as commercial commodities triggers an uncanny, emotional response, correlating with the exploitation and suffering of those affected by losing their homes. Through the engagement with the art piece, viewers are able to acknowledge the complex issues on a smaller scale. By reducing the housing bubble to representational objects, Destined to fail/Destined for sale expresses the dynamics between politicians, financiers, and consumers.

Alexander Farrell is a Boston based artist working in multiple mediums. His portfolio includes paintings, drawings, and sculpture. As an abstract artist, Alexander works with found objects in works on paper and three-dimensional sculptural pieces. The artist earned his BFA in Architecture at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2008. Alexander has been awarded a grant from the Vermont Studio Center (Johnson, VT) and is included in the upcoming exhibition, Flourish: Alumni Works on Paper at Bakalar and Paine Galleries, Massachusetts College of Art and Design (Boston, MA).
Where: Montserrat College of Art, Frame 301, 301 Cabot Street, Beverly, MA
Exhibit Dates: May 16, 2011 – June 13, 2011
Hours: 24/7
For more information about the exhibit, please contact Lydia Gordon, Frame 301 Project Manager at Lydia.Gordon01@gmail.com or visit us at www.montserrat.edu/galleries.
Events hotline: 978.921.4242 Option 3
 
This program is supported in part by a grant from the Beverly Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

Montserrat College of Art is an accredited, private, residential college of art and design offering the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, art education certification and year-round classes and workshops for adults through its Continuing Education program.
Visit us at www.montserrat.edu.