DUMBO Arts Festival 2013

• Friday, September 28, 2012 - 6:00PM to 9:00PM
  Saturday, September 29, 2012 - 12:00PM to 9:00PM
  Sunday, September 30, 2012 - 12:00PM to 6:00PM
  
• Location: 111 Front Street

Artist: Abby Goodman

Description

SUITE: 218 BAC Gallery at Brooklyn Arts Council

PROJECT: Abby Goodman’s latest solo exhibition, The Wishing Tree, transforms BAC Gallery into a tree shrine. Wishing Trees are sacred places found all over the world, where people are invited to attach prayers onto the branches of sacred trees in hopes that their wishes will be answered. Visitors to the gallery are invited to do so. Nesting in the branches of the shrine is a herd of Deerfly, a magical creature that continues to be the most significant iconographic symbol in Goodman’s work. Half butterfly, half deer, the Deerfly represents both spiritual and physical metamorphosis.

ABOUT: The combination of animal imagery and manufactured products has become the most prevalent iconographic symbolism in Abby Goodman's work. Animals represent the mystical, spiritual, and natural forces in mythology of many cultures both past and present. Currently, in Abby's immediate urban surroundings, a new aesthetic often referred to as 'lodge' aesthetic draws on recreating natural imagery in urban settings. She feels this desire for the association with natural imagery reflects concerns towards the current global environmental situation. This imagery acts as a harbinger, yet functions as a symbol of hope. Abby's work is a visual metaphor for this longing for an ideal balance between man and nature. Inspired by her own personal experiences, these creatures become characters in a fantasy world, which parallels the reality of her daily life.

BAC Gallery exclusively showcases the work of emerging and mid-career Brooklyn artists. Visual arts exhibitions include installations as well as group shows by independent curators. The gallery participates in DUMBO 1st Thursdays with extended hours and public programs on the 1st Thursday of every month. Brooklyn Arts Council gives grants, presents free and affordable arts events, trains artists and arts professionals, teaches students, incubates new projects and promotes artists and cultural groups across our borough. Brooklyn's cultural anchor since 1966, BAC has also been the catalyst helping the arts community grow.