"Things Fall Apart," Winkleman Gallery, through Feb. 21
By Jillian Steinhauer
Although it may not sound like it from the title -- which is a famed line from William Butler Yeats's poem "The Second Coming" -- this tight group show at Winkleman Gallery is a good antidote to recession blues. The artists represented express varying political concerns -- from the G8 forum (MounirFatmi) to post-Katrina New Orleans (Paul Chan and The Front), to the controversial Yangtze Three Gorges project in China (Joy Garnett) -- but what they have in common is their view that, in contrast to the foreboding words of Yeats's poem, the apocalypse is not upon us, no matter how bad things look. The works in the show are strong and evocative enough to fill you with a sense of -- if not hope, than at the least, inspiration. That political messes and tragic events can spawn creative work is a nice reminder of the relevance of art, even in depressed times. |
