DAVID GRAINGER: Shareholders (Routine)

DAVID GRAINGER
Shareholders (Routine)
APRIL 6 – AUGUST 10, 2019

The transformation of one material into the appearance of another is a work of theater. Like a dramatic aside that breaks the fourth wall, David Grainger’s work allows the audience to simultaneously perceive an illusion and that illusion’s construction. This opens the possibility of short-circuiting the logic of the image. Grainger’s practice is rooted in sculpture, drawing, and performance as a means of developing idiosyncratic psychological landscapes. With representational imagery, he invites viewers who do not often encounter art to disarm and approach his work openly, activating a stage for reflection of common ground and mutual desires.

Shareholders (Routine) is part of a sculptural series based on text and human figures, consisting of life-size castings of people contorting into recognizable words. “I look to use phrases that have multiple readings – simultaneously humorous, political, or otherwise context-related. I’m interested in drawing attention to the misunderstandings and vast divides, as well as the shared interests, in our current public spaces and political spheres,” writes Grainger. This project explored the gaps between language and understanding, and how meaning is created and inferred by people sharing (in) a culture.

David Grainger is a multi-disciplinary artist and currently an Artist in Residence at Colorado State University. His work has been featured at Pierogi Boiler Space, NY Center for Book Arts, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Wassaic Project, and the Gallery at Philadelphia City Hall. Solo exhibitions of his work have been held at the Foundry for Art Design + Culture, Go North Gallery (Beacon, NY), The Space (NY), and Directions Gallery (CO). His projects have been included in exhibits in San Francisco, Chicago, Puerto Rico, Miami, Boston, and New York. He has lectured at various institutions including California College of Arts, Museo Arte Contemporaneo de Puerto Rico, The Universities of Maryland and Virginia, and Pratt Institute. He has an MFA in Sculpture + Extended Media from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a BA in Integrative Arts from Penn State University.