Fine Art, New Location

by Editorial October 1, 2009

written by Editorial October 1, 2009

The work that stole the show was Pinder’s Capsule, 2009, a tailored meteorite-like sculpture made from salvaged tin and wood from Obama’s inauguration platform. These contrasting materials expelled equally contrasting audio from Sun Ra and Stevie Wonder, a combination of a bassy sounds and sharp aesthetics which reached all of senses and lured me further into the work. Centrally grounded by Capsule, the video installations then punctuated the gallery space with projections on gallery walls, causing the space to come alive. Much credit should be given to sympathetic curation by Christopher K Ho, a practicing artists himself. Gawlak commented that the “fresh eyes” and “fresh voice,” which Ho provides was invaluable to creating this engaging atmosphere. The opening night reception welcomed artists of the likes of Maggie Michael, Dan Steinhilber, Luis Silva and Linn Meyers. Curator Kirstin Hileman and Washington D.C. art collector Henry Thaggert were also in attendance.

A striking collaborative video piece by Pinder and Ruiz, Roulette, 2009, acted as a wonderful metaphor for the collection. It showed Pinder putting a gun to his head and pulling the trigger whilst Ruiz responds by taking a shot of tequila (something we all could have done with after the suspense). This piece was reflected on the opposing wall with Ruiz’s Picasso Wore Mascara, 2009 – a comical remake of Picasso’s Desmoiselles d’Avignon. In Ruiz’s version, the figures wore intimidating wresting masks in place of African ones.

Combining a new location with a new exhibition worked perfectly. The teamed works of Jefferson Pinder and José Ruiz make this a must-see show.

“El Museo del Ghetto” present Jefferson Pinder and José Ruiz (September 26^th – October 24^th 2009) at G Fine Art 625-27 E Street NW, Washington DC, 20004, www.gfineartdc.com, Open Tuesday – Saturday 11am – 6 pm.