Biography:
Alison Brady is a New York based artist. She hails from the slightly tattered outskirts of Cleveland, Ohio, and the image of faded middle-class “coziness” is one that lies at the heart of her photos. Her work is compelling, funny, and disturbing, that mucks through unconsciou
s emotions, desires, and sexual compulsions, all unified by an aesthetic that vacillates between the banal and the fantastic. Her 2009 exhibition An Uncertain Nature at Massimo Audiello Gallery, New York, received critical recognition Roberta Smith of the The New York Times wrote “Ms. Brady's work deals rather explicitly and hilariously with the female predicament.”
Brady exhibits nationally and internationally and her work is featured in many private and public collections such as Elton John’s collection and the West Collection. Her work has been featured in publications such as New York Arts Magazine, Time Out NY and The new York Times. She was named one of the top emerging artists in the world by Saatchi Gallery.
font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">She holds A MFA in Photography Video and Related Media from The School of Visual Arts (NYC). Brady is represented by Massimo Audiello Gallery, in New York.
Education:
2006 MFA, School Of Visual Arts, New York
2003 BFA, School of Art,
Architecture, Design & Planning, OH
Solo Exhibitions:
2009 An Uncertain Nature Massimo Audiello, New York, NY
2007 Sweet Affliction Massimo Audiello, New York, NY
Group Exhibitions:
2011 Kirkland Arts Center, Kirkland, WA
2009 BAM Next Wave Festival, Brooklyn, NY
2009 Remember Me When I'm Dead, Fleetwing Gallery,Brooklyn, NY
2009 Prague Biennale, The Newest New York Young Photographers from the Big Apple Czech Republic
2008 Young Curators, New Ideas, Bond Street Gallery, Brooklyn NY
2008 Randall Scott Gallery - Eight Photographers Group Show, Washinngton, D.C
2008 TFOP National Juried Exhibition, CVA Gallery, TFOP Toledo Friends of Photography, Center of the Visual Arts in Toledo, Toledo, Ohio
2007 Booby Hatch, Woom Gallery, Birmingham, England
2007 Distinctive Messengers, House of Campari, of Campari Exhibition, curated by Simon Watson and Craig Hensala, New York, NY New York, NY
2007 Life is But a Dream, Space 301, Mobil, Al
2006 Strange Instrument, 3rdWard Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY
2006 The Early Work: School of Visual Arts Masters Thesis Exhibition, New York, NY
2005 SVA 2nd Fl Gallery The Teenage Gothic , New York, NY
2004 7th Annual Fall Mixer: Spark Gallery, Syracuse, NY
2003 Kiosky Gallery, Christchurch, NY
Artist Statement:
My work stimulates unconscious emotions, desires and sexual compulsions, all unified within a dynamic that vacillates between the real and the fantasized. I explore issues related to madness and alienation as they exist in contemporary culture, concentrating on expressions of neurosis, on feelings of anxiety, displacement and loss of identity. These emotions are depicted in terms of visual conflict through my imagery, and manifested in terms of grotesque exaggeration. While investigating issues related to the unconscious, elements such as eroticism, twisted humor and horror come across. I strive to create dichotomies between the sensual and the horrific, the beautiful and the destructive; the result, I hope, is a body of work comprised of deeply emotional and disturbing depictions of the unknown, staged imagery that functions on a metaphorical level and inanimate objects and settings serving to illustrate the inner workings of the unconscious.
The image should pester the spectator beyond an initial glimpse; it should worm its way into you, demand revisitation, make itself compelling in a troublesome way, like the queasy addiction of prodding a sore on one’s gumline
with one’s tongue. This repetition can take the form of dreams, storytelling or even hallucination; my images allude to the cryptic mental re-scrambling through which our traumatic events resurface. When I conceive my images, the questions I ask myself are: “What is the state of normality?,” “How can that normality be subverted, perverted or generally transformed?” and “When does this overcome the real and become psychotic?”
Identity in the models is effaced, rendering them as ambiguous as a figure half-remembered through the still-dissipating fog of a dream. What I find most disturbing is the subtle distortion of something I can relate to, or something that is closest to me I seek to evoke that sense of familiarity through the use of homely middle class signifiers, such as wallpaper and recognizably domestic spaces. Constructing artificial scenarios that appear vaguely recognizable, and thereby produce numerous associations. With in the comfort of the familiar, the elements of the unknown and inexplicable present themselves.
Biography:
Mandy Corrado arrived on the scene lastyear when her series Reflections of the Muse gained worldwide attentionon the blogosphere. James Danziger called the work "intriguingand wholly original." Mandy's photos were recently exhibited in agroup show at Danziger Projects inChelsea, NY and her work is beingpublished in Resource Magazine thisspring alongside an article about thatexhibit. Art Historian FrancesBorzello recently included Mandy's workin a lecture given at theNational Gallery in London. She ismaking her Los Angeles debut in the4x4 exhibit at Kopeikin Gallery. Born in Chicago in 1981, Mandy won afellowship from The School of the ArtInstitute of Chicago upon earningB.F.A. in 2003. She still lives in theChicagoland area and is currently working on another seriesfurther exploring the artist/model relationship.
Born: February 10, 1981
Chicago, IL USA
Currently resides in the Chicago area with her husband, Michael Gutwaks.
EDUCATION
2003 – BFA: The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
SELECTED EHIBITIONS
2010 – Danziger Projects, The Year in Pictures (group show)
2004 – Gallery Chicago, "Glamour of War” Group Exhibition
2003 – Gallery 2, “BFA Show” The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
SELECTED MEDIA & PUBLICATIONS
2009 – The Year in Pictures, April 16 – Reflections of The Muse Series featured on James Danizger’s blog, Conscientious, April 14 – Appeared on Joerg Colberg’s blog
I Like This Art, April 13 – Featured on Jordan Tate’s blog
2008 – Chicago Tribune, December 3rd – "Naked Ambition" article by William Hageman
2006 – Huang Ruo: Chamber Concerto Cycle, Photo on album cover – International distribution with Naxos
2003 – UK Indymedia, January 30th - Article and photographs published on website
2003 – Chicago Indymedia, January thru May – Several articles and photos published online
2002 – FNews Magazine, December - Article and photographs featured in print publication
1998 – Chicago Tribune, March 1998, “Fading Angel” photograph was chosen to represent the “Women’s Works” juried art competition in a related article
SELECTED AWARDS
2003 – Fellowship Award – The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Juried award presented to 15 graduating SAIC students in 2003, Awarded for “Question the War” BFA Thesis Exhibition
2003 – Student Leadership Award, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
SELECTED COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
2008 – Present: Board of Directors of the Neo-Futurists, a theater collective best known as the home to the longstanding show Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind. Named “Best Theater Company in Chicago” by the Chicago Reader in 2008. www.neofuturists.org
2007 – Present: Board of Directors of Blue Beryl Dharma Center, a Chicago based Tibetan Buddhist Center. www.blueberyl.org
Fall 2006 – Spring 2007: Served on the Host Committee for His Holiness The Dalai Lama’s visit to Chicago
Artist Statement:
From Venus of Willendorf to Olympia, the nude has been a consistent subject in art throughout the ages. Yet how often do we see the models’ perspectives? Where are their voices in this ongoing discussion? These questions came to mind often during my years as a figure model.
I began posing in my senior year at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Modeling allowed me an insider’s view of countless art studios and schools. I enjoyed interacting with hundreds of artists, collaborating with them for the sake of their work. Upon graduating, I took up posing full time. Besides the occasional ache and pain associated with holding perfectly still for upwards of nine hours a day, I loved my job. Yet, over time, I grew frustrated. Despite the innumerable drawings, paintings, photographs and sculptures of me in studios, portfolios and on gallery walls all over Chicagoland, I felt unseen. Despite the fact that I was spending six to seven days a week in the studio, I was not making art.
One day I began fantasizing about photographing myself on the model stand and set out to make the Reflections of the Muse series. I bought a gold framed mirror and brought it to jobs with me. All of the artists were more than happy to be a part of the project. I would set up my mirror so that I could see myself while posing while not distracting the artists, and then go to work as usual. My camera would be somewhere nearby and when a break was called, I would nonchalantly grab it and click a few frames before moving. The resulting images are the interiors of studios with artists actively working. I am somewhere in the frame, reflected back at myself. My gaze is on the viewer, inviting them to look at me and the world in which I live. The tables have turned and the nude figure is now the artist.
From my experiences of knowing dozens of my colleagues, most artists’ models are also artists themselves. They are actors, dancers, painters, writers, and so on. Most of them pose not only as a means to make a living, but also because they feel a deep commitment to the artwork and a respect for artists they collaborate with. Yet their views of themselves as models remain largely mysterious. Through this work, I invite you to consider the point of view of the many nudes you have encountered in art. Perhaps you will gain a new understanding of this timeless artistic tradition.
Biography:
David Schoerner was born in Reno, Nevada in 1984 and now lives and works in New York City. In 2007, he founded the independent publishing company Hassla Books, which has been included in art book events and exhibitions worldwide. He has exhibited throughout the US and worldwide and his photographs have appeared in art magazines including the Australian WON Magazine, the Mexican fashion magazine Celeste, the Brooklyn-based young culture quarterly The Journal, and the online photography magazine Ahorn. His new book Photographs has just been released on Hassla.
Education
2007
Montserrat College of Art, Beverly, MA - B.F.A – Photography Concentration
Exhibitions
2010
Younger Than I’ll Be, Group Show, BAMArt, Brooklyn, NY Curated by Skye Parrott
The Year in Pictures, Group Show, Danziger Projects, New York, NY
2009
Group Show No. 30, Group Show, Humble Arts Foundation, New York, NY
21 Dreams, Group Show, Gallery on Old Bailey, Hong Kong Curated by Melissa Jones
2008
Night of 1,000 Drawing – A Benefit for Artists Space, Artists Space, New York, NY
KIOSK XIX – Modes of Multiplication Galerie Art & Essai, Rennes, France
2007
Night of 1,000 Drawings – A Benefit for Artists Space, Artists Space, New York, NY
New England Photography Biennial 2007
Danforth Museum of Art, Framingham, MA, Jurors: Karen Haas of the Boston MFA and Arlette Kayafas of Gallery Kayafas
Carbon Copy Commodity Cube Gallery/ Bell Roberts, Capetown, South Africa
All Senior Show, Main Gallery – 1st Prize Montserrat College of Art, Beverly, MA, Juror: Randi Hopkins of Allston Skirt Gallery, Boston, MA
The Decorated Human Antler (with distant core layers…alamode), 301 Gallery, Group Senior Thesis Show Montserrat College of Art, Beverly, MA
2006
Open House Exhibition, Main Gallery Montserrat College of Art, Beverly, MA
NASAD Exhibition, 301 Gallery, Montserrat College of Art, Beverly, MA
2004
Forensics – an allusion to injury, Group Show, Hand to Mouth Gallery, Bellingham, WA
Open House Exhibition, Main Gallery, Montserrat College of Art, Beverly, MA
Awards
2007
1st Prize, All Senior Show Montserrat College of Art, Beverly, MA Juror: Randi Hopkins of Allston Skirt Gallery/ICA Boston
2006
Photography Merit Award Montserrat College of Art, Beverly, MA
Bibliography
2010
Photographs – Hassla Books, Artist Book
2009
WON Magazine, Volume 1, Issue 4
2008
PDN Magazine, September, 2008
2007
Celeste, Cover and 10 page photo feature, issue 25
The Quiet Life Camera Club Vol. 2 book
David Schoerner – Hassla Books, Artist Book
2005
The Journal magazine, Photo Issue, entry 13, Ten-page photo spread
Collections
MOMA Library
Various private and corporate collections
Review Panels
Critical Mass
NYPH 2009 Portfolio Review
Artist Statement:
After Betty is a group of photographs inspired by the painting Betty, 1988 by Gerhard Richter. The work not only pays homage to Richter but also deals with the history of the relationship between photography and painting. Ricther's Betty was painted from a photograph which was reminiscent of earlier painters such as Vermeer. The photographs from After Betty have a similar feeling as Ricther's Betty. They convey a softness in the photograph - technically and figuratively - and variations in the light from over-exposed areas, subtle hints of light and colors reflecting off the subject. The photographs play off a painting which was made from a photograph that resembles 17th century painting. It is this "back and forth" kind of relationship that painting and photography have been in since the very beginning of photography.
Biography:
Martynka Wawrzyniak was born in Poland in 1979, moved to New Zealand at the age of eight and has been a residing in New York since 1998. Martynka was selected as one of PDN’s 30 emerging photographers to watch in 2006. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, New York Magazine, Purple, Vice as well as many other international publications. Prior to committing to photography full time Martynka was the co-founder and editor of the arts and culture publication Issue magazine during the period of 1999-2004.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
“Kids’’, Envoy Enterprises, New York, June 5, 2009
“Ketchup”, Envoy Enterprises, New York, July 2, 2009
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
“All in the Family”, Screening curated by Laura Parnes, Sarah Meltzer Gallery, New York, 2008
“PDN’S 30”, Photo Plus Expo, New York, 2006
“A Portrait of Fashion”, Pochron Studios, New York, 2006
“Tim Barber: Tiny Vices”, Gavin Brown, New York, 2006
“Dt (Double Take) Show”, ANP, 2005
“Beyond Compare - Women Photographers on Beauty”, Dove / Ogilvy and Mather, 2003
Artist Statement:
As the gap between my childhood and adulthood grows bigger, I have become increasingly aware of how much of our adult existence is effected by our earliest experiences. In this series of portra its I want to portray the dark side of an innocent child and look into the future of their face capturing an element of the adult they will mold into. This will be the sixth year of this ongoing project. Every few years, I re- photograph the children I still have access to. In 2007 I made a video to accompany the portrait series, in which four kids stare directly into the camera and reflect on issues they will encounter in their adulthood. The video is titled 'ME'.
4 x 4: four figurative photographers
Dates: April 24th 13th June 5th, 2010
The Kopeikin Gallery presents “4 x 4” an exhibition featuring four images each by four figurative photographers: Alison Brady, Mandy Corrado, David Schoener and Martynka Wawrzyniak. The show opens on Saturday, April 24th with a reception from 6:00 – 8:00. All four artists are expected to be in attendance at the opening. The show continues through June 5th.
Alison Brady (http://www.alisonbrady.com)
This body of work uses staged imagery on a metaphorical level, with inanimate objects and settings serving to illustrate the inner workings of the unconscious. Brady explores issues related to madness and alienation as they exist in contemporary culture, concentrating on expressions of neurosis, feelings of anxiety, displacement and loss of identity. Brady’s images question what the state of normality is and how that normality can be subverted, perverted, or generally transformed?
Mandy Corrado (http://www.mandycorrado.com)
This series, “Reflections of the Muse,” came about after years as a figure model. Corrado asked herself, as many others had no doubt asked before; with the nude as a consistent subject in art throughout the ages why was the model’s perspective so rarely heard? She bought a mirror and set it up so that she could see herself while posing. The resulting images of studio interiors with artists actively working and the model reflected back at herself turns the tables so the model is now the artist. Through this work she invites the viewer to consider the point of view of the many nudes encountered in art and to gain a new understanding of this timeless artistic tradition.
David Schoener (http://www.davidschoerner.com)
“After Betty” is a small series of photographs inspired by the Gerhard Richter painting “Betty, 1988.” The series not only pays homage to Richter but also deals with the history of the relationship between photography and painting since Ricther's Betty was painted from a photograph reminiscent of earlier painters such as Vermeer. The photographs from “After Betty” have a similar feeling as Ricther's Betty. They convey a softness in the photograph - technically and figuratively - and variations in the light from over-exposed areas, subtle hints of light and colors reflecting off the subject. The photographs play off a painting which was made from a photograph that resembles 17th century painting. It is this "back and forth" kind of relationship that painting and photography have been in since the very beginning of photography.
Martynka Wawrzyniak (http://www.martynka.com)
This series grew out of the realization of the growing gap between Martynka’s childhood and her adulthood and of how much of her adult existence was effected by her earliest experiences. In this series of portraits she portrays the dark side of seemingly innocent childhood; their faces capturing an element of the adult they will mold into. This is the sixth year of an ongoing project. Every few years, she is re- photographing those children she still has access to. In 2007 Martynka made a video, titled “ME,” to accompany the portrait series, in which four kids stare directly into the camera and reflect on issues they will encounter in their adulthood.
This show is loosely a sequel to an exhibition titled “3 x 5” presented at the Gallery in 2007.
For images or further information about this or other upcoming exhibitions please contact Kopeikin Gallery. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11AM to 5PM. The phone number is: 310-385-5894. Go to our website: kopeikingallery.com or if you want to join the Gallery Facebook group go to: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=34662330521