The upcoming exhibition at Exile pairs the works of two American artists each representing different backgrounds, generations and distinctly different artistic visions. The resulting exhibit raises fundamental questions about aesthetic representation and the role of art in contemporary society.
The work of Howard McCalebb, born in 1947, is deeply embedded in studies of geometric form and order that he then transfers into drawings as well as small wooden and large–scale metal sculptures. His works are the result of an extensive visual research into one of mankind’s most fundamental aesthetic principles: the Golden Ratio (Goldener Schnitt).
Exile is proud to present his first Berlin-made large-scale outdoor sculpture entitled Butterfly. The poetic title, color and shape of the sculpture are juxtaposed with the extreme weight of the material resulting in an almost weightless abstraction.
Tom Holmes, born in 1975, works with a large variety of mediums ranging from music to photographs, sculptures and installations. His approach rejects clear definition, questions aesthetic principles and the politics of the overall possibility of artistic meaning.
Taking the compositional problems of abstraction as a beginning his works harbor a strong uncertainty and disbelief in notions of aesthetics and representation.
Setting the works of McCalebb and Holmes in contrast with each other results in a complex dialogue between their beliefs regarding the history and future possibilities of art-making as a whole. Although their works are based in oppositional beliefs they also beautifully complement one another.
Howard McCalebb graduated from Cornell University in 1972. He recently located from New York to Berlin where he runs the gallery and artist residency Dadapost in an old factory in Berlin/Wedding. His work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally. Solo exhibitions include Kulturfabrikken in Copenhagen, Denmark and Momenta Art, NY. His large-scale outdoor sculptures have been exhibited in countries such as Norway, Bulgaria and China.
Artist News
April 01, 2010: Howard McCalebb: two sculptures for Washington, DC.
