Gasser Grunert is pleased to announce the exhibition, Tim Roda, Games of Antiquities from September 9th to October 9th, 2010. The idea of Games of Antiquities was invented by Tim Roda while he was in Italy for the Fulbright Award he received in 2008.

Games of Antiquities at Gasser & Grunert invited five other artists to join Tim Roda in emulating the folly and viciousness of Ancient Roman spectacle. Artists John Byrd, Jacob Foran, Ryan Horvath, Doug Jeck and Chris Miller joined the Roda family throughout the month of August, working and living side by side in the gallery’s large, raw space. Each artist, all of whom work in experimental and unorthodox ways with clay and other media, suspended their normal studio practices to absorb each others’ approach to the theme. Games of Antiquities is an exercise to willingly submit to, but vigorously and intimately explore the concept of the “anachronism” in contemporary visual culture.

The final exhibition consists of each artist’s work that was created in the gallery space, including fragments of their installations and sculptures alongside Roda’s black and white photographs that document what took place within and around the Coliseum—think gladiators in the Coliseum or chariot horse racing in the Circus Maximus—combined with present day social commentaries. The artists used found objects, clay, concrete, blue tape, and other non-precious materials to create work that has been interpreted by each artist’s vision of the theme of the show. Therefore, using Roda’s idea as a starting point, they each built their own art piece in the way that they are most comfortable working—at times collaborating with other artists and sharing materials and tools. This ambiguity in the process added to the complexity and uniqueness of the whole endeavor.

Tim Roda, an MFA graduate, is a New York based photographer and is represented in both North America & Europe. Roda has worked as an adjunct professor at NYU, Purchase College, and is now at Hofstra University. He received a Fulbright Scholarship for his art in 2008 to study in Italy. He stages his immediate family to impart the truths & humour of family life and of photography itself in black-and white imagery. He depicts metaphors of family history, memories, & traditions that resonate with viewers. These imperfect photographs reflect the physicality and the contempt for the work.