Events

Chambers Burnet Art Gallery Presents
David Bartley | The Grey Area
February 6 through April 4, 2009

Face time: Gray matters, an article on the exhibition from the StarTribune

On the surface, the show consists of 11 black and white, mixed-media pieces punctuated by only the occasional burst of color – a stark contrast to the artist’s previous vivid works. However, for the more observant, Bartley offers glimpses into his dark, dry sense of humor as he explores the space between black and white .

“I am trying to define what is by nature indefinable –the grey area,” said Bartley. “It’s a bit like being bound to fail. And where there is failure, there is humor.” For proof, look no further than “Emaciated Painting,” a 48- by 78-inch oil on canvas that depicts the back of a painting.

Bartley’s show also mixes media and meanings in his exploration of the grey area with references to classic art. “A Dead Marat,” a 92- by 60- by 20-inch mixed media assemblage, is Bartley’s take on the “The Death of Marat” by Jacque-Louis David, while “The Great HeGoat,” an 84- by 130-inch twodimensional, mixed media work, incorporates, and is named for, Francisco Goya’s painting of the same name.

For Bartley incorporating the famous works in his pieces is a way of paying homage and re-contextualizing these classics. “For people who recognize the references it’s a bit like discovering something that you’ve forgotten about,” explains Bartley.

Some of Bartley’s previous shows include the 2007 McKnight Fellowship exhibition at MCAD (Minneapolis College of Art and Design), and the 2007 Summer Invitational, Tom Barry Fine Arts, both in Minneapolis. Recent solo Bad Drawings,” Under Gallery, Minneapolis and “Group Photo,” Project Room, The Soap Factory, Minneapolis.

Bartley is a recipient of the 2007 McKnight Artist Fellowship for Visual Artists and received his Master of Fine Arts from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, Ill. He is a 16-year veteran of the Walker Art Center, serving as its senior registration technician collections manager. A long, deceptively bland title for the individual who handles all the center’s complicated installations. He also oversees and personally escorts some of the museum’s more intricate and expensive pieces either on their way to or from the Walker.

CHAMBERS Art Partners