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This Side of the Blue

March 1, 2006- April 29, 2006

James Barsness

George Adams Gallery

525 W 26th St

During March and April, the George Adams Gallery will present a series of new paintings by JAMES BARSNESS. Titled THIS SIDE OF THE BLUE, the exhibition consists of seven new canvases completed within the past year, all of which make use of a range of sources, including history, literature, mythology, religion, and pop culture. Notable are references to poems by Wallace Stevens and John Ashbery, a depiction of the Hindu god Shiva, and a Viking funeral.

Using acrylic, ballpoint pen and paper collage, Barsness creates intricate scenes of the struggles of human behavior with its paradoxical characteristics. Several of the works in the exhibition concern themselves with death and rebirth. The Engine, 2005, was inspired by a song by Converge and depicts minions dismantling and simultaneously reinventing a large, complex machine in a scene into which the lyrics "For those I love I will sacrifice, for those I love I will survive," are integrated. Similarly, The Great Destroyer, 2006, portrays Shiva, the Hindu god of cosmic destruction and regeneration, while Bifrost Bridge, 2005-2006 offers an interpretation of the Viking funeral.

Other works in the exhibition visually integrate literary references. For example, the title of The Emperor, 2005, is taken from the poem by Wallace Stevens "The Emperor of Ice Cream," with the line "the only emperor is the emperor of ice cream," appearing within the painting itself. The Distractions, 2005, incorporates, "We must remember not to be part of the cat's plan for us, a line taken from John Ashbery's poem "Sparrows on the Lawn." Other works in the exhibition include Hum, 2005, When You Die, 2005, and My Dark Master, 2006.

Books and DVDs related to artists in this show

Location   Gallery George Adams Gallery Address 525 W 26th St New York (Chelsea) NY, 10001 United States Phone 212-564-8480 Fax 212-564-8485 Hours Tue-Sat 10-6 Nearby: All 3 galleries at 525 W 26th St

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