After Dark 425

Saturday, April 25, from 8-11 pm
254 E 3rd Street, #20
New York, NY 10009

AD Projects is pleased to announce an exhibition of contemporary works by 9 artists in various media. In their first collaboration, Kat Cohn, Abby Merrick and Jill Murphy explore the different connotations of the phrase “after dark.” As an independent curatorial enterprise, AD Projects will present this show for only one night with music from DJ Reynolds Richter.

Their choice to stage the show in a vacant apartment is integral to the show as it invites the viewer to interact with the pieces differently than in a conventional gallery setting. Small scale sculptures are hidden in cabinets and nooks of the apartment; one can open doors, climb ladders, and ascend staircases in order to experience the various works. The space encourages viewers to examine how art functions within a domestic atmosphere.

The works on view include photography, painting, sculpture, video, and installation. Individual pieces construe “after dark” in binaries such as light versus dark, day versus night, work versus play, dream versus reality. Peter Ash Lee’s suite of photographs delves into the subculture of tattoo artists and suggests darkness in a distinctive manner. By painting his own blood onto the photographs, Lee evokes the self-inflicted pain and bodily permanence left behind by a tattoo needle. Exploring the implications of “after dark” in a different way, sexuality plays a vital role in many of the artists’ works, whether subtly insinuated or blatantly stated. In Anita Ragusa’s diptych St. Germain I & II, voluptuous nudes flirtatiously perch in vibrant damask wallpaper and radiate sensuality.

A site-specific installation by Aryon Hoselton entitled Island will take place during the evening. In Island Aryon repurposes plastic bags into hammocks which envelop visitors and blend them into the darkened downtown skyline.

The show will be on view April 25, 2009 from 8-11 pm and by appointment only on the 26th and 27th. For further information please contact Abby Merrick, abbymerrick@gmail.com.

Liz Arenberg
Justin Bateman
Aryon Hoselton
Billy Jacobs
Ina Jang
Max Lawrence
Peter Ash Lee
Andy Monk
Anita Ragusa