Once Removed | Jim Neeley & Wayne Bertola

April 23 - June 4, 2021

Due to the COVID-19 no public reception will occur

The three-dimensional constructions Jim Neeley builds press him to think like a graphic designer, use his hands like a finish carpenter, and obsess over the details. His inspirations are numerous and varied. The iconic design and culture of the 1970s. Bird’s-eye views of the rural landscape where he cycles. High/low architecture, studied wherever he travels. Quirky things, irreverent things. Unrelated bits and pieces such as local found objects and recycled stuff that he re-imagines and reorganizes into meticulous, elegant tableaus, all neatly contained in handmade boxes. Superfluous details of the objects he incorporates into these pieces are “erased,” leaving just the essence of mundane elements. For the observer, he hopes that his work pings a distant recollection, conjures a smile, and also inspires a bit of self-indulgence.

Wayne Bertola combines found objects and images—the discarded debris of the once-functional and the most humble of materials—in a way that demonstrates their capacity to transform. Recontextualized, the objects engage the viewer in a creative dialogue of association, allusion, and reverie beyond the limitations of the utilitarian and preconceived notions of what is worthy of notice and what constitutes value.