Passive Aggressive

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Passive Aggressive

New York, NY

In this solo show of recent work by PellOverton, to be held at the Bridge Gallery in the Lower East Side, we developed an installation to feature a range of graphic techniques and spatial effects which we have explored to varying degrees in our work. The initial concept was to design an elegant sleeve for the gallery that would treat the surfaces of the space - walls, floor, and ceiling - with particular material and decorative strategies which at times would be assertive and present, and at times act as passive background for other activities or exhibits in the space. The Aggressive component of the exhibit brings the figural qualities of the installation to the foreground: for instance, plants that grow through screens cut with botanical patterns, creating a three-dimensional, organic wallpaper. In its Passive mode, the installation serves as background for other activities in the space by providing both mood and discrete shape to the long, narrow gallery. The plan layout provides for spaces which can be both intimate and separate or continuous and singular, aiding the curation of different types of work or multiple shows running simultaneously in the gallery. The Passive mode of the exhibit also enabled us to address in part the for-profit nature of the gallery: by providing a creative enclosure for activities like release parties, book launches, and other design-related celebrations, the installation becomes a catalyst for new revenue.

Exhibited in “Resonance”, New York (2009)