Side Bar curated by Alicia Gibson
press release
Side Bar
Curated by Alicia Gibson
January 9th-January 24th, 2021
(An online show @Underdonk)
Underdonk is pleased to present ‘Side Bar’, an online group exhibition of artists’ artworks made in response to the artwork of other artists. Taking on a critical-humorous approach to their responses to other artists’ works, the artists in this show allude to the qualities, conception, brands, theses, and formal approaches of other artists in paintings made specifically for this exhibition. One part comedy roast, ekphrasis, and experimental game, ‘Side Bar’ takes on the subjects of rivalry, homage, appropriation, and artist-bar discourse from the perspective of the makers themselves.
One artist’s work for the show will be posted per day on their instagram handle @underdonk beginning January 9th then on Underdonk’s website. The artists in this exhibition include Ryan Lynn Hurd, Frankie Phillips, Kari Cholnoky, Nathan Ritterpusch, Todd Bienvenu, Jonathan DeDecker, Dante Lentz, Aaron Ribeiro, Lauren Hussey, Huey Crowley, Kristina Lee, Nicholas Moenich, Alicia Gibson, John Rogers, Josh Bolin, and Jennifer Sullivan.
From the Curator:
We all talk or at least think about other artists, or I would hope we do just on a basic human level. It’s a healthy process to weed through what we like and dislike in order to find our own voice. I left it up to the artists in this show to be how overt/insular, funny/serious, etc. they wanted to be in their responses. The name of the artist they chose would only be divulged in their work or in public if they felt comfortable doing so. Their chosen artist could be alive or deceased.
Each of the artists that I selected for the exhibition possesses a certain visceral, humorous and chaotic cynicism, and I asked that they channel those traits into a painting. I asked each selected artist to choose one other artist they found themselves having a strong reaction to, whether it be positive or negative, and to make a painting in response to these feelings. Their reaction could be based on many factors such as the other artist’s approach, concepts, mediums, or even personality. Granted, some of their personality is obvious in their paintings of which I do like, but the concept of this show is not based solely on one pre-existing painterly attribute.
In my opinion, ‘Side Bar’ is an apt title for this show. Generally, a sidebar is used to describe any conversation where some parties in a meeting may step aside to discuss and debate about information not shared with the entire group. A sidebar is a frequently used practice during legal proceedings. Opposing attorneys request a sidebar with a judge to discuss confidential matters privately, out of a witness or jury’s earshot. Metaphorically, this is similar for an artist to paint about his or her protagonist and work it out on the canvas with their chosen artist. While we paint in private, the final painting will be obviously shared with an audience. To me, this was a slight conceptual experiment. I would like to see if there are commonalities in the approach and execution of each painting made for the show. I’m assuming satire will be involved, maybe even parody and hope it will have a not so serious tone.
“If there is a fundamental difference between rivalry in the modern era and rivalry in earlier epochs, as I believe there is, it is that in the modern era artists developed a wholly different conception of greatness. It was a notion based not on the old, established conventions of mastering and extending a pictorial tradition, but on the urge to be radically, disruptively original.” ― Sebastian Smee, The Art of Rivalry: Four Friendships, Betrayals, and Breakthroughs in Modern Art
I believe one of the most antagonistic relationships of the modern-ish day would have to be between Tupac and Biggie. Even so, to quote Tupac, “Whatever you see you gotta keep a sense of humor; you gotta be able to smile through all the bullshit.” Whether it’s Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur, or the career Russian roulette of Basquiat and Warhol, I admire the way they use their medium to often convey a message to their fellow artist.
Alicia Gibson, a Brooklyn based artist, received her BA from Boston College, a Post-Bac from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, and an MFA from Hunter College. Solo exhibitions have included Friend from Foe at Loyal Gallery, Stockholm, Sweden (2017), Backseat Bingo, Marvin Gardens, Ridgewood, NY (2017), Not in a Million Beers, Real Estate Fine Art, Brooklyn, NY (2017), Purgatory Emporium, CANADA Gallery, New York, NY (2016), and Flip the Script turn the Tide, Julius Ceasar Gallery, Chicago, IL (2016). Alicia has exhibited at Breeder, Venus Over LA, Howard’s, Lyles and King, Rod Barton, Derek Eller, Rachel Uffner, Underdonk, TSA LA, Adams and Ollman, Zurcher, Carroll and Sons, Nevvan and Stems Gallery. Additionally, she has shown at Frieze, NY, and NADA, NY. Her work has been reviewed in Frieze, NY Times, Art News, Frontrunner Magazine, Hyperallergic, MOMUS, Art Papers, and the Boston Globe. She has a solo show at Grifter, NY opening later this month.
