upcoming events at Irvine Contemporary:

to: Noah Becker <whitehotpublisher@gmail.com>
Introductions3
August 11-September8


Irvine Contemporary is pleased to announce Introductions3, a selection of
recent graduates from leading national and international art schools. This
third year of Introductions at Irvine Contemporary is the first gallery
exhibition of its kind: over 250 artists from 60 different art colleges were
reviewed for Introductions3, and final selections were made with the advice of
a panel of art collectors, rather than curators or gallerists. Introductions3
has grown to an inclusive “MFA annual” -- with some exceptional BFA graduates
-- that brings the best rising artists to Washington, D.C.

Susan Jamison: "Trust in Me"
September 15-October 20

Irvine Contemporary presents Susan Jamison's second solo exhibition at Irvine,
Trust in Me. The exhibition will feature new tempera on panel paintings that
extend the artist's signature approach into new directions. Jamison's egg
tempera paintings incorporate naturalistic imagery with feminine cultural
symbols and everyday objects to explore archetypes from myths, dreams, and
fairy tales. Plants, animals, objects, and colors are chosen for their
symbolic associations as well as for the way in which their forms will act as
design elements within the picture plane. The images capture moments in time
where these stories play out through metaphors. Women interact with birds,
snakes, insects, and flowers in a style that can best be described as magical
realism. Here, close natural observation of a specific moment of human/nature
contact combines with symbols to create a heightened sense of experience.

Courtney Jordan: "New Works"
September 15-October 20

Irvine Contemporary presents Courtney Jordan's first solo exhibition of new
paintings and ink on mylar drawings at Irvine.

Kahn & Selesnick: "Eisbergfreistadt"
October 27-December 8

Kahn/Selesnick's newest project, "Eisbergfreistadt" documents the creation of
this principality which is inspired by an actual incident in 1923 when a
mammoth iceberg ran aground in the Baltic port of Lubeck, towering over the
town and terrifying the populace. Many decided (not unreasonably) that the
iceberg caps were melting and the apocalypse coming. This event inspired
gloomy cafe songs and penny dreadfuls, even a deck of playing cards.

Many notegeld and inflationary currencies were issued for the
Eisbergfreistadt. Manifestos were published, and posters put up declaring the
state's new ideals, citizenship requirements, etc. Products started appearing:
butter, lard, chocolate (of surprisingly high quality) etc, all stamped with
the Eisbergfreistadt logo. Although the creation of the Eisbergfreistadt is an
actual historical incident, it is not clear to what extent it actually existed.

The celestial city depicted on the iceberg seems to owe as much to the spires
of Freidrich, as to the halls of ValHalla - it is a place built by Rilkean
angels, too perfect for human reality, that can only be intuited by the
artist. The worldly goods of the Stadt are therefore in the context of a cruel
joke ("you take art and I'll take spam"). Interestingly these apocalyptic
fears proved prophetic - Lubeck was the first German city to be fire-bombed in
World War II - and, despite being rebuilt, is in danger of flooding due to
global warming.


Lauren Saks
Gallery Assistant
Irvine Contemporary
1412 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 332-8767
www.irvinecontemporary.com