Fake, a group exhibition curated by Koan-Jeff Baysa with participating artists: Barton Benes, David Henry Brown (aka Alex von Furstenberg), Ellen Harvey, Micol Hebron, Kim Keever, Adam Nankervis, Warren Neidich, Aaron Sheppard (with) John (and) Jeffrey Gardner McLaughin (and) Kim Myers-Robertson, Klaus Scheruebel, Nobi Shioya

PORTRAITS OF VIOLENCE: The Story of Shelley, a one-person exhibition of photography by James Higginson.

Exhibition Dates: November 15 - December 21, 2002
Regular Hours: Thursday - Saturday, 12:00 noon - 6:00 PM
Reception: Friday, November 15, 7:00 - 10:00 PM

POST is pleased to present the group exhibit Fake curated by Koan-Jeff Baysa.

The concepts of "fakery," which stands in opposition to "authenticity" oscillates between the poles of "fake authenticity" and "authentically fake," producing a gray field within which truth lays in shadow. But also one can argue whether truth is the central issue, especially when paradigms have shifted, for fakery encourages radical strategies of being, replete with ambiguities and a diminished emphasis on materiality. Certainly there have been exhibitions interrogating photographic authenticity and digitally tampering with the truth, but "FAKE!" takes a different stance and looks at the works of highly inventive artists tweaking the sham and the simulacrum in various media, underscoring the concept that things once taken for granted, no longer succeed. Barton Benes creates mini-museums coaxing incredulous histories from ephemera of the rich, famous, notorious, and obscure. His take on Tammi Fae Baker is a hoot. David Henry Brown, Jr.( a.k.a.Alex von Furstenberg) constructs false histories and documents inserting himself into tony high-profile social situations, achieving instant cachet through osmosis; in this video piece, he works with ceruloplastic luminaries from Madame Tussaud&Mac185;s Wax Museum. Ellen Harvey constructs a type of transparent fakery by asking two different women to strike the same face and painting portraits of the comparisons. Micol Hebron will be performing a piece about having a tail and all of its confounding ramifications, and will also exhibit a video entitled "I Love You." Kim Keever's canvas is a 100-gallon fish tank in which he creates atmospheric landscapes with a palette of colored pigments and plaster models, a truly alchemical process resulting in convincingly hyperreal cibachrome prints. Adam Nankervis has created an inaccessible involuted parodisical museum of man that exists only in his apartment in Berlin. Warren Neidich creates Civil War aerial photographs that are direct commentaries on the manipulation of present-day reconnaissance/spy photographs for political ends. Aaron Sheppard and his group represent a failed Christian rock band that succumbed to "sex, drugs, and rock and rock" on the road in Europe, with a concocted elaborate live installation/video and music CD-signing happening reminiscent of a "Where Are They Now" clip, barely maintaining a fragile, veiled, and false celebrity. Klaus Scheruebel did extensive research into a historical book whose ultimate appearance in bookstores consisted of a printed dust jacket wrapped surrounding a styrofoam block in shrinkwrap. Nobi Shioya pushes the boundaries of defining physicality and fakery in photographing his son Nobuhide Makana who has achondroplasia.

POST is pleased to present PORTRAITS OF VIOLENCE: The Story of Shelley a one-person exhibit of photography by James Higginson.

The Portraits of Violence Series, 2001-2002 peers into relationships and considers violence as an issue of contemporary culture. The POV Series means to provoke feelings, reactions and discussion. Issues of self-mutilation, prescription drug-abuse, abandonment and the right to die are all raised in the large scale, staged photos that make up "The Story of Shelley." With the POV Series Higginson asks, "What is real?" Acts of violence are intricately woven into the fabric of society and violent images are very much a part of our everyday lives. By gloss coating violent images are they deemed acceptable or fashionable? Higginson looks at the transference of violence, handed down, generation to generation. Through the POV series he asks, "How is what we see and experience as children played out as adults?" James Higginson's artistic investigations lead to the boundaries between physical and psychological oppositions. Higginson's works include sculpture, multidisciplinary performance art, painting, traditional and computer generated printmaking, and photography. His works are furtive metaphors for issues surrounding domination and control, transformation and metamorphosis. As layering is important to his art making, he looks at surfaces and then dives deeper to question what is beneath or within. His surfaces are sometimes in contrast/conflict to what is beneath Recently Higginson has been creating large-scale photographic works. With his series, Recollection and Mendings, Higginson addresses the human condition through poetic metaphor. In Maneuvers and the developing POV Series, his focus is on socio-political issues.