"About Like So: The Influence of Painting" at Franklin Art Gallery

"About Like So: The Influence of Painting" is a group exhibition that explores how the histories, forms, materials and other qualities associated with painting inform conceptual art practices today. The show is on view at Franklin Street Works located on 41 Franklin Street in Stamford Connecticut  through February 22, 2015.

Polly Apfelbaum, Split Station Stop, 2014, Fabric, string bead, safety pin, Courtesy of Clifton Benevento

The exhibition, curated by Terri C Smith, aims, in part, to challenge expectations of painting, which are often attached to historic movements, decorative qualities or romantic notions of the artist in his or her studio. "About Like So" features works that use paint in unorthodox ways or bypass the medium all together to reveal how the "language of painting" can invade, obstruct and enhance other art forms. This exhibition asks, "In an era where painting no longer has the art historical primacy it once did, what can it contribute to the dominant art practices of today – art that is often not medium specific and is rooted in the theory-driven practices of conceptual art?"

The works include sculptures, videos, photographs, sound installations, and digital prints. Loose and disjointed narratives involving the histories and materiality of painting are found in several videos. Several works speak to painting through audio components and a handful of artists in the exhibition reference particular art historical figures or classic painting genres. Paintings are also included in the exhibition, but the artists use strategies that challenge our expectations of painting's forms or the artist's role as author.

Exhibiting artists include:  Polly Apfelbaum, Paul Branca, Taylor Davis, Tim Davis, Marley Freeman, Ragnheiour Gestsdottir, Michael Graeve, Dave Hardy, Alex Hubbard, John Knuth, Sophy Naess, Tameka Norris, Peter Nowogrodzki/Max Kotelchuck, Seth Price, Paul Theriault, Brad Tucker, Siebren Versteeg, Augustus Thompson, Leslie Wayne, and "in actu: music & painting" (K.R.H. Sonderborg, Wolfgang Hannen, Günter Christmann and Paul Lovens).

For more area information visit www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com.  For information on Franklin Street Art Works visit http://www.franklinstreetworks.org.