Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Pick a Pocket


Opening Final Friday, February 27th with a reception that evening from 6-11 pm is Pick a Pocket, an installation of new work by Andrew Neyer.
The exhibition will run through Saturday March 21st with limited hours Saturdays from 12-4, and by appointment.
Neyer has created an engaging exhibit that allows 1305 Gallery's guests to "pick-pocket" through the handmade wallets of invented characters brought to life on the gallery's walls.
The viewer enters into a dense crowd of painted figures, and after finding the one of greatest interest, or taking time to investigate each one, they are able to explore the contents of their wallet. The wallets become biographies of the figures in the installation through the varying contents. The piece provides a unique interaction with otherwise static two dimensional characters.
Each wallet contains cleverly crafted checkbooks, credit cards, money, driver's licenses and so on, inviting you as the viewer/pick-pocket to discover the identity of each character by means of the contents of their pockets. Because the characters are motionless and therefore unable to stop you from picking through their pockets, the daring of this action is balanced by an almost clinical, investigative feeling. For me it brings to mind exploring the pockets of someone who is unconscious and sure not to get up, to find out where they live or who to call. For others it could even border on fulfilling cleptomaniacal fantasies- but you must return the goods!
Please join us this Final Friday to do some pick-pocketing of your own while enjoying the neighborhood happenings and mingling with other artists and art lovers!