HALSEY MCKAY GALLERY

In my work, the photographic image becomes the “ghost”–it becomes a cipher more than a subject.  The ornate construction of the frames, the forced-mirroring of the viewer, the object-ness of the photo itself–all of these things come together to encourage a holistic reading of the works on display.  Every bit of construction detail is to be considered, from the obsessively sanded edges of the accordion-mounted lamp, down to the brass furniture tacks used to pin the print to the insulation foam backing.

Built-in to the reverse side of each work are tableaus of the imagined daily activities of the Platonic ideal of “the artist”:  casual painting, leisurely reading, and reflective writing.  These rear elements are all foldable/stowable so as to accommodate wall-hanging of the works–an open admission of the gulf in market viability between sculpture and painting.

The dark prints topped with glass, combined with harsh overhead fluorescent lights, creates a mirroring effect, serving to put the viewer “on stage”, both inside and outside of the work.  Also included in the exhibition are two interactive hanging sculptures.  Normally topped with a single bulb, these works have been retrofit for the duration of this exhibition: when pulled downwards, they activate ceiling lights that illuminate the prints inside the frames, reducing the the mirroring effect and taking the viewer “off stage”.
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The two sculptures in the exhibition both rely on the decay of living fruit to activate kinetic elements.  In both works, gravity, forever pulling downwards, is counteracted and interrupted by the presence of a lemon.  As the lemon decays, each sculpture slowly comes to life.  The death of the fruit presents an aesthetic reward for the viewer, but also presents the exhibitor or owner of the piece with a duty–either a pleasant interaction or a burden, depending on your relationship to art–to replace the fruit element.

Colby Bird (born 1978; Austin, Texas) received his MFA from Rhode Island School of Design in 2004. He has had recent solo exhibitions at Halsey McKay Gallery, New York; Grice Bench, Los Angeles; Fitzroy, New York; Lora Reynolds Gallery, Austin; University Galleries at Texas State University, San Marcos, and has been included in exhibitions at Aspen Art Museum, Aspen; Arthouse, Austin, and Hagedorn Foundation, Atlanta. His work is held in prominent private and public collections including the Whitney Museum of American Art. Bird currently lives and works in New York. This is his 4th solo exhibition with the gallery.

For more information please contact info@halseymckay.com.