MO FAUXS: PART DEUX

Black Book Gallery is pleased to announce a one-night only exhibition featuring the “Mo Fauxs,” an artist collective composed of Brett Kern, Tim Kowalczyk and Mitchell Spain. Entitled, “Mo Fauxs: Part Deux” the event will take place on Saturday, July 25th from 7-9pm and is free & open to the public. Face masks are required for entry and the gallery has a free ticket system via their website to keep people safe (and in line with Colorado’s social distancing measures).

“Mo Fauxs: Part Deux” celebrates the spirit of artistic collaboration and unexpected outcomes. While each artist possesses a unique style, these three master ceramicists have found a conduit to creative exchange in which the sum is greater than the parts. Kern, Kowalczyk and Spain each use different types of clay, glazes and varied techniques, so finding a seamless coexistence between their signature aesthetics requires extreme experimentation, patience and an overwhelming trust in the creative process and each other.

Mitchell Spain combines precise sculpture making with a vintage aesthetic to create fully functional pieces that both look and feel weathered, harkening back to a rose-colored Americana that never really existed, except in our own faded memories of youth, suburban cul-de-sacs and two-car garages. Tim Kowalczyk is known for his trompe-l’oeil “cardboard” recreations of everyday objects: mugs, plates and functional sculptures that draw from art historical tropes like Duchamp’s readymades and the Italian “Arte Povera” movement. Brett Kern is known for his “inflatable” dinosaurs and objects with a heavy dose of childhood nostalgia and playfulness. “For our second collaborative exhibition, I really wanted to bring my “A-Game” and create pieces that embellished and served the work of Tim and Mitchell well,” adds Kern. “Being the height of summer, I decided to play on the idea of floating inflatable drink-holders with my own “Loch Ness Monster” version that could stand in as a pedestal for their pottery. The ceramic “Inflatable” cup holders function as a coaster or a receptacle to display Tim and Mitchell’s custom cups.”

While their signature styles may be wildly diverse, each of these artists executes their work through a thick veil of cognitive dissonance. Items that we associate with the so-called “mundane everyday” – rusted-out motor oil cans, cardboard scraps, plastic kids toys- are rendered exquisitely in fired and glazed ceramic, creating functional, yet whimsical sculptures that commemorate moments and objects we might otherwise overlook. These are the poetic accessories of our lives, from the symbolic to the banal, each worthy of celebration.

“The planning for “Mo Fauxs: Part Deux” is a culmination of our collective experiences through meetings, workshops, artist talks, and exhibitions,” explains Kowalczyk. “Part Deux is only the second time we have come together to create collaborations. We talked about what we have learned from previous collaborations, what the staples of a “Mo Fauxs” exhibition are, what we have learned by workshopping together, and what we have wanted to create. What we came up with was an epic wishlist of collaborations. Not being able to see any of these pieces fully put together until right before the exhibition led to some anxiety, but the pieces are collaborations of intellectual content and masterful techniques that would not be possible without the three of us coming together.”

ONE BRETT KERN "INFLATABLE" DINOSAUR PER ORDER/PERSON/ADDRESS/ETC

FOR REFERENCE:

YOU CAN CHECKOUT WITH ONE BRETT KERN DINOSAUR AND ANY COLLAB PIECE OR SOLO PIECE FROM TIM OR MITCHELL

YOU CANNOT CHECKOUT WITH TWO BRETT KERN DINOSAURS AND ANY COLLAB AND/OR SOLO PIECE FROM TIM OR MITCHELL

YOU CAN PURCHASE MULTIPLE COLLAB PIECES

******ALL WORKS ARE NOW ONLINE - WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT!!!!