Teratoid Territory
Curated by David Krofta

Opening Reception October 31, 7–11
October 31–December 14, 2008
Featuring a puppet show by Sean Samoheyl

It’s a crazy world. Every day each one of us finds ourselves on the brink of insanity caused by any number of things, some outrageously unjust, some just mildly irritating. Our collective fuse grows shorter and shorter as each passing day brings new and more derisive ways of bringing us all to our knees. Economic uncertainty, flagrant displays of ignorance and intolerance, and self inflicted hardship crowds our minds and airwaves. It is at these times in history when artists and creative thinkers have a social responsibility to provide all of us an opportunity to see ourselves as we really are, scared and overly emotional teenagers; attempting to figure out the most painless way into adulthood. It is at these times when we look to the past to provide us models of the right and wrong ways to get things done, and take a good long look in the mirror to provide ourselves a little perspective on how far we’ve come. Nostalgia, irony and satire provide us with the navigation we need to wind our way through a jungle of symbols and contexts. Front Room Gallery is pleased to present four artists whose work shows us as ourselves; funny, simple, deformed, and human.

Justin Durand is located in Massachusetts, makes music, draws and creates costumes. His drawings are as bizarre and psychedelic as they are funny and human. Dealing mostly with the figure, his work often gives the viewer glimpses of woollen-unitard clad characters frolicking, shouting, and fighting. Like stills from a french animated film from the 70’s, the specifics of moments aren’t always definable, but the feelings within them are more than intelligible.

Josh Faught is currently a professor of fiber at the University of Oregon, who makes installations that include everything from handmade fabric vacuums, to hand knit banners, and video. From the artist’s biography; “Calling on the darker side of craft and craft-making, objects and ornamentation are re-configured to rhapsodize over codes of depression, desire, illness, tragedy, and criminality.”

Sean Samoheyl is an artist residing in Louisa, Virginia, who makes puppets and handcrafted wooden figures. His aesthetic is both mode and message, they are equal parts nostalgia and caricature. In his chest mounted puppet shows, figures and sculptures, he is both entertaining, humorous and didactic. His stories often deal with characters struggling to find a sense of self and place.

Dean Sullivan, AKA AEIOU, is an artist from Florida, whose drawings can be accurately described as “monstrous, gross, and amazing.” He creates small works on paper, which evoke the angst, energy, and imagination of high school notebook scrawling, penned by a young man who has seen far too many things.

David Krofta is a Cleveland native, and a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art’s Fiber and Material Studies program in 2006. Since then has worked on lots of collaborative projects with his friends, most recently as Jumpin’ Jack Stache of “Double Dutch Will Take You Higher”; an art-sports performance group that performed in many capacities, from opening for bands to doing instructional days with kids in Cleveland area parks and schools. He can also be seen in early episodes of artist Thu Tran’s award winning cooking/puppet show “Thu Tran’s Food Party.” He currently lives and works in Chicago.

This is the final exhibition in Front Room Gallery's 2008 season. Please join us in March 2009 for our next exhibition.

Thanks to St. Clair Superior Development Corporation for donating wine for the opening reception.

Image: Dean Sullivan, ©2008.