Press Release – Chris Bradley
By CAM Raleigh | February 13, 2012
CAM RALEIGH PRESENTS CHRIS BRADLEY’S FIRST MUSEUM EXHIBITION CLOSE ONE ON VIEW IN CAM RALEIGH’S INDEPENDENT WEEKLY GALLERY
Museum Premiere
On view February 24 through May 28, 2012
Image: Photo: Chris Bradley, installation view of Quiet Company, 2011. Courtesy of Shane Campbell Gallery
Raleigh, February 2012—CAM Raleigh’s newest presentation, Close One, a series of new artworks created by Chicago-based artist Chris Bradley opens February 24, 2012 in CAM Raleigh’s Independent Weekly Gallery. Chris Bradley is CAM Raleigh’s fourth artist to be presented in the Independent Weekly Gallery Emerging Artist Series. CAM Raleigh is collaboration between the community, Contemporary Art Foundation, and North Carolina State University’s (NC State) College of Design. A special reception will be held on Friday, February 24 from 5pm to 7pm. The reception is free for CAM Raleigh Members and free with museum admission.
Predicated on common desires, like maximum leisure time and the thirst for travel, the exhibition Close One celebrates idiosyncrasies found in our average daily monotony. Included in the exhibition are spoofs and spin-offs of ordinary, blue-collar subjects that hint at potential fictional histories behind the work. Within the exhibition, visitors will encounter a duality of play of reproductions where material specificity and trompe l’oeil painting put authenticity to question; and the byproduct of inebriated reverie and wishful thinking are front and center.
A recent School of the Art Institute of Chicago M.F.A graduate, Bradley balances humor with thoughtful composition in his playful installations and pairs unlikely elements with more common sculptural materials such as wood and steel. By arranging prosaic objects in uncommon ways, Bradley assigns them new importance and suggests new ways of relating to them. The use of disparate materials, such as discarded auto parts and cast bronze forms, Bradley creates a conversation amongst the work that diminishes conventional means of appraisal and embraces the material’s immediate effect. What seem to be salvaged tractor-trailer doors are hung like paintings, while cast bronze junk food rest whimsically, waiting to be shot at as subjects of target practice. As you walk through Close One, be sure to stay out of the line of fire.
Executive Director of CAM Raleigh, Elysia Borowy-Reeder, says "Chris Bradley’s work creates conversations surrounding authorship, art history, and humor while responding immediately to today’s material culture. CAM Raleigh is a museum about firsts. I am extremely proud of CAM Raleigh’s ability to present artists first museum exhibitions with such magnitude."
Exhibition Related Programs
Opening Preview Reception
Friday, February 24, 2012
5:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
Become a CAM Raleigh member to attend this special exhibition reception free of admission charge. Public welcome. Free with museum admission..
Artist Talk
Saturday, February 25, 2012
3:00 p.m.
Meet in the Independent Weekly Gallery and hear first-hand exhibiting artist Chris Bradley talk about his work. Join CAM Raleigh to attend this artist talk free of admission charge. Public welcome. Free with museum admission.
Also on view
Born Digital: Exploring Digital Culture and Interactivity
On view January 28 through April 30, 2012
Showcasing a growing body of contemporary art that is visitor dependent and without the use of specific interfaces like keyboards or touch screens—aspects of this exhibition are movement-driven which empowers visitors to exercise their creativity and act on their curiosity. Born Digital features the work of 12 national and international pioneers of digital and new media art. Most of the featured artworks in the exhibition employ computer vision technologies, more commonly known as interactive video. The combined use of digital video cameras and custom computer software allows each artwork to "see," and respond to, bodies, colors and/or motion in the space of the museum. The few works not using cameras in this fashion employ similar technologies towards the same end; they are reflections of our digital culture.
Dara Friedman—Dancer
On view January 28 through May 14, 2012
Miami-based artist Dara Friedman documents a series of dances that took place on the lush and gritty streets of Miami, Florida during the spring of 2011. Unfolding predominantly in fluid tracking shots, the film captures 66 performers in 40 segments as they dance, during the day and at night, along the city’s sidewalks, in its parks and parking garages, street corners, bus benches, and occasionally on its beaches. Enmeshed with the performances is a soundtrack, which paces the film throughout its 25-minute running time. Dancer is the most recent film in an unofficial trilogy of new works by Friedman that focus on performance and public space.
About the Emerging Artist Series
CAM Raleigh is the only museum in the region with a dedicated gallery for emerging artists and designers. Through exhibiting emerging artists whose work is still in progress and fresh from the studio, CAM Raleigh celebrates the diversity of artistic expression and places the artist at the center of the community. The museum supports early career contemporary artists in an atmosphere where they are encouraged to foster a cross-fertilization of ideas and dynamic interaction with visitors. Visitors from all walks of life will often have a chance to meet and exchange ideas with the artists celebrated in this series. CAM Raleigh’s Independent Weekly Gallery features the Emerging Artist Series.
Hours and Admission
CAM Raleigh hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 11:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and first and third Fridays of the month open late. The museum is closed on Tuesday. General admission to the museum is $5. CAM Raleigh members, children 10 and under, members of NARM and Mod/Co, and NC State students, staff, and faculty are admitted free.
###
CAM Raleigh is a non-collecting museum that explores what’s now and presents an always-changing museum experience. CAM Raleigh is collaboration between the Contemporary Art Foundation, the community of Raleigh and North Carolina State University’s College of Design. CAM Raleigh is generously supported by the Contemporary Art Foundation, North Carolina State University, individual and corporate members, private and corporate foundations, and government agencies. CAM Raleigh is located at 409 West Martin Street, Raleigh, NC 27603, between Harrington and West streets and in the heart of Raleigh’s Depot National Register Historic District and Warehouse District. CAM Raleigh has a parking lot; additional parking is available at metered spots on the street or at the Davie Street Parking Lot located at 201 W. Davie Street. Information about CAM Raleigh’s exhibitions, programs, and special events is available on the CAM Raleigh website at camraleigh.org or by phone at 919.513.0946. Follow @camraleigh on twitter.
