Elective Affinities (A Trade Show Demonstration)

David Byrne
 
September 14 - October 19, 2002

Pinspot Publication
 
Track 16 Gallery is pleased to announce that the first show of our fall season will be an installation by multi disciplinarian David Byrne. The opening reception will take place on Saturday, September 14, from 6 to 9 P.M. The exhibition will run through October 19, 2002. Gallery hours are 11:00 to 6:00, Tuesday through Saturday.
 
A traditional museum-type wall text written by Byrne will instruct, inform, and guide the viewer through the gallery to the center of the space, where thumbnail images will be available for viewing on the monitor of a computer containing all the image files. According to Byrne, the time he spent collecting this catalogue of images was "a way of understanding the world through the filter of a viewfinder, or a kind of Victorian cabinet of wonders on a hard drive."
 
Not only can visitors select an image to purchase, but they can also choose an image to be printed and added to the gallery walls thus changing and shaping the dynamic of the show. A state-of-the-art Epson 7600 printer will be available to print images on the spot (printing takes about 20 minutes). This entire process will be supervised by a gallery assistant in a quasi-assembly line fashion.
 
As time progresses, the initial installation will grow, echoing the inclinations of the audience. The printer will, in essence, create the show as visitors attend and participate, allowing the whole selection and production process to be more visible and transparent. As in Darwinian theory, through daily observation of consistencies in typographies, categories, and groupings, whether by subject or some other criteria, one will be able to see various selection patterns of the images become apparent.
 
A 32-page artist's book designed by Byrne for the exhibition will be published by Smart Art Press and will be available for purchase during the run of the show and on www.smartartpress.com. The print run for this artist's book with fold-out images is limited to 1,000 copies: Pinspot Publication.
 
In continuation of our Track 16 Nights series, David Byrne will give a slide lecture entitled "Evil Art and Good Advertising." Byrne describes the evening: "In which I deliver a rant on the topic of visual phenomena that have been placed in the public sphere for our consideration...whether we like it or not. These include art, advertising, graffiti, and inadvertent personal expression. Who owns our eyes? Who controls our visual field? I will include some of my own workÐwork that responds to this subject. Not suitable for children." The event will take place on Sunday, September 15, at 7 P.M. Please RSVP by calling 310.264.4678 as seating is limited. Admission to this event is $5 per person. Byrne will sign his Smart Art Press artist's book after the slide lecture; signing is limited to the Smart Art Press book.