On January 14, 2012 Sonnabend Gallery will open an exhibition of new works by Clay Ketter.
Continuing his investigation into the familiar yet overlooked surfaces of architecture in various stages of construction and disrepair, Ketter’s new large scale photographic compositions are constructed from material taken in Naples, Italy at MADRE - Museo d'Arte Contemporanea Donna Regina. Apparently disregarding the museum’s impressive collection of contemporary art, 8 x 10 inch color negatives were taken through the open windows of the museum, to the views of wall surfaces and structures across the way.
This MADRE Veduta series is a continuation of the artist’s reading and interpretation of wall surfaces as painting, while in these particular motifs framing, objectification and even perspective are allowed to play a more prominent role. All but one of the compositions include the open window enclosure as a framing device. The images are carefully re-composed using picture-making techniques recognizable from Ketter’s more recent paintings – manipulations used in building the compositions are deliberately revealing, sometimes resulting in Rorschach inkblot-like symmetries.
Ketter’s work continues to challenge the boundaries between painting and photography, fiction and fact. Examples of Ketter’s later paintings and other large format photographs will hang alongside the new works as an overview of this fluctuation.
The exhibition will continue through February 18th.
Please contact the gallery for further information.