The Myth Of Utopia: In the Shadow of the Floating City

John Diebel
Cut-paper collage on prepared board
30" x 30"
2012

Opening Reception Saturday, October 13, 2012, 7-11 PM at Rosalux Gallery

The Myth Of Utopia is an exhibition of new work from artists John Diebel and Terrence Payne opening this coming October at Rosalux Gallery located at 1400 Van Buren Street Northeast, Minneapolis, MN. The artists take turns surveying the idea of utopian thinking and the discord it creates when confronted with real human nature, with Mr. Diebel examining the issue more from a macro perspective and Mr. Payne honing in on individual experiences. This exhibition will open October 4th and run through the 28th with an opening reception with the artists Saturday October 13th from 7-10 PM.

John Diebel is exploring the relics and ruined ideals of the last century, critiquing ideologically conceived structures from the Eastern Bloc to the block where you grew up. Diebel separates the physical design from the ideal and points out how beauty can blossom even from the ashes of failed utopias. Through the use of an intricately cut collage technique, Diebel captures and distills the essence of his architectural subjects, frequently adding a modern dynamism by rendering them in an isometric perspective reminiscent of early video games. His newest work revives these apparitions of the past through bright colors and precise compositions while building on his lengthy study of political architecture.

Terrence Payne probes the motivations which might lead an individual to give over their own identity in exchange for the promise of a better life. From the hippy optimism of the glassy-eyed Deadhead to the expansionist principals of American settlers, Payne picks apart the motivations of the beguiled and the guileless and attempts to reassemble the fractured parts of their humanity. These large-scale oil pastel drawings utilize the pattern and iconography familiar to Payne’s earlier work while expanding his visual vocabulary in order to stimulate and amuse his audience.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

In the Shadow of the Floating City