NEW YORK, NY.- Dinner Gallery, formerly VICTORI + MO, is presenting Songs for the Living, an exhibition of new artifacts by Eric Standley. This show marks his first solo exhibition with the gallery, which opened February 2nd and will be on view through March 20th.
Calling his works artifacts, Standley’s process is similar to an archeologist as he uncovers objects. He arranges multi-layered laser cut paper in complex formats to create pieces that allude to those already in existence but not yet found. Each layer is strategically placed to conceal or reveal color, line and form creating captivating and expansive moments with seemingly infinite details.
His pieces are based on personal visualizations of paradoxes that speak across time, cultures, religions and politics. By using familiar arches and geometric designs, particularly visual cadences from Gothic cathedrals and Muslim prayer niches, Standley focuses on the fact that there is more in common between them than not.
The Verum series, after the Latin word for truth, breaks away from the protection of the frame in his earlier works. They are a reaction to the inundation of falsehoods that dominate our public discourse and employ the delicate quality of the paper to highlight the fragile nature of trust.
The intricate forms of Standley’s work inspire us to explore the depths of his artifacts and instill an urgency to bear witness in person. Like a collection of good songs, this exhibition invokes feelings of familiarity during discovery and provides glimpses into a future that encourages tolerance, compassion and reverence for complexity, truth and the unknowable.
Eric Standley (b. 1968) received his B.F.A. from the Massachusetts College of Art and his M.F.A. from Savannah College of Art and Design. He is a Professor of Studio Art for the School of Visual Arts at Virginia Tech. Eric Standley lives and works in Blacksburg, Virginia. Solo exhibitions include: Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke, VA, Sharjah Museum of Art, United Arab Emirates, and the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, Virginia Beach, VA. In addition, his work was featured in the CODA Paper Art 2015 Biannual, CODA Museum Apeldoorn, Netherlands and the 10th Anniversary (2016) of the Scherenschnitt (Shear Cutting) Museum in Vreden, Germany.
Dinner Gallery (formerly VICTORI + MO) is a contemporary gallery dedicated to developing and presenting emerging artists. Since its inception in 2014, the gallery has been intrinsic to experimentation, working collaboratively with artists to realize novel and ambitious projects outside their typical realm. In addition to nurturing artists and mounting exhibitions, the gallery also functions as a center for rigorous intellectual exchange, hosting dialogues, lectures, and other community activities.
