barriers

NEW ART WORK BY BO PETRAN AND MATTHEW KELLER

Things start out so promising, and then something gets in the way. Nothing goes according to plan. Psychological, spiritual and social difficulties crop up.  They are our obstacles. They give us energy or they take it away. They are the friction that propels our way through life.

barriers is an art installation by Bo Petran and Matthew Keller that consists of a series of environments reflecting these obstacles.

Petran explores the energy we may gain from the physical experience of death and destruction. Through the burning of piled wooden planks, he creates a very tangible barrier and a spectacle resplendent of the beauty and elegance of death.

Keller delves into the intangible barriers etched into our psyches through the practice and ritual of organized religion— in his own case, through the Catholic Church. His space, patterned after an altar and confessional, alludes to the emotional walls created by past misdeeds. His barriers are created by the thrill of freedom and maintained by the thrill of shame. Keller’s barriers are cleansed by prayer.

The opening (which is free) includes a performance from former bartender of No. 9 Park, Tyler Jay Wang, of the creation of a cocktail and a conversation on subjects chosen by the artists. Purchase tickets from socialbarriers.eventbrite.com to pass the barrier to this performance.

Exhibition Dates: October 5 – 26, 2013
Opening Reception: Saturday, 05 October, 6-9 PM (free of charge)
Performance by Tyler Jay Wang: Saturday, 05 October, 6-9 PM (by ticket)
Third Thursday Reception/Artist Talk: Thursday, 17 October, 6-9 PM
Masquerade Closing Party: Friday, 25 October, 6-9 PM
Gallery Hours: Fridays and Saturdays 2-6 PM