Something Real Opening Reception: Saturday, June 11 from 5 to 8 pm FLUXspace is pleased to present Something Real, a solo exhibition of new work by Carl Marin. The exhibition will be on display from June 11 – August 6, 2011, with an opening reception on Saturday, June 11, 2011 from 5 – 8 pm. Starting with the proposition that parks and landscapes are beginning to function as “museums” engineered toward displaying nature as it once was, Something Real explores the changing and disquieting relationship between humans and the natural world. As a child of a professional taxidermist, Marin’s work explores the realm of hunting and taxidermy in a sly and mischievous way, using the tools and vocabulary of the hunter to re-examine our use and interaction with our surrounding habitat. Hunting in America and most other countries is no longer a means of survival, but a tool used to manage the balance between the flourishing wildlife and the diminishing habitat, or a pastime shared with friends, or even a competitive sport. Marin’s work explores the purpose behind hunting, the motives that drive the hunter, and the mystery and lure depicted in something like the epic hunt for the white whale. Re-staged as a multi-media installation in the gallery, the outdoor performances such as Turkey Blind and Beginning at the end explore the experience of hunting, and make these experiences and interactions with nature into snapshots, both documenting a moment of reality, and framing the scene into something absurd and seemingly impossible. These performances turned installations touch on the diverse means by which we now mediate our relationship with nature: groomed and manicured grassy parks, managed nature reserves, stocked ponds, and of course, natural history museums. Perhaps most relevant to this exhibition is the natural history museum, which offers a diorama of taxidermied animals in their “natural” habitat, at once a picture of something lost and something completely made up. ********** Carl Marin grew up in Willow Grove, PA and received a BFA from Tyler School of Art, Temple University. His interest in sculpture and the natural world began at an early age through his experience working with his father at his taxidermy shop. Recent exhibitions include ID and Fresh, both at Projects Gallery (Phila, PA), Natural Selections at Kutztown University (Kutztown, PA), and The Print Center's 84th Annual Competition (Phila, PA). Additionally his work was recently selected by the City of Philadelphia for a public art commission at Sturgis Playground. Carl plans to pursue his MFA in Sculpture at Virginia Commonwealth University starting this fall.
Extra Ephemera and Digital Detritus:
Press: The Artblog: "Something Real from Carl Marin @ FLUXspace" by Roberta Fallon, June 15, 2011 The Nicola Midnight St. Claire: "Something Real: Carl Marin at FLUXspace" by J. Makary, July 8, 2011
For more information on this show, contact info[at]thefluxspace[dot]org. |
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