ExUrbe

organized by John David O’Brien
in partnership with Outpost Projects, Boxo Projects and the Joshua Treenial

with work by

Fatemeh Burnes, Jeff Colson, Jacci Den Hartog, Renée Lotenero, Patrick Nickell,
John David O’Brien, Rebecca Ripple, Ross Rudel and Aili Schmeltz

ExUrbe stands in for something out of the urban environment. It could also mean: to the outskirts. Actually the most important part is that it is about art placed and done by artists to be in the desert, away from the usual confines of the artworld in urban agglomerates.

This is an exhibition related to thinking about things outside of normal perceptual boundaries and even just plain outside - in the elements. Availing ourselves of Aili’s Outpost space near Joshua tree and placing art objects both inside her house and in the desert around the house allows for very different perceptual decantations to occur. The work inside is likely to be preserved as it is, while the work outside, subject to the elements, is very likely to undergo massive changes, possibly entirely. This simultaneous array of art under these very different conditions fosters a kind of test value between the way things in nature and things extracted from nature are preserved and even perceptually consumed. The participating artists and artist organizers; Fatemeh Burnes, Jeff Colson, Jacci Den Hartog, Renée Lotenero, Patrick Nickell, John David O’Brien, Rebecca Ripple, Ross Rudel and Aili Schmeltz all have interest, memories and experiences of the desert. They bring that to bear in the work they have selected to exhibit in ExUrbe.

ExUrbe is also about bringing people out to the stunningly different environment on which Los Angeles is built and which surrounds the city. It is also reflection on the different conditions not so much for art making but for art presentation. ExUrbe frames art outside of the usual art world norms, surrounding it with the glorious and wholly unpredictable conditions of the desert.

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