Curated by Laura Blüer, Madelyn Ringold-Brown, and Anthony Tino Opening Wednesday, December 19th, 6-10 pm On View Thru Saturday December 29th

Recession Art at Culturefix | 9 Clinton Street NY, NY

The American Daydream is one of unexpressed desire, an aspiration for more than what is offered by the American system. It necessitates the creation of a new American milieu, be it emotional, social, psychological, or physical. This exhibition at RAC features 16 artists whose work grapples with the disparity between the opportunities associated with the American Dream and the response when examining the true nature of the American system. We call this grey area the American Daydream. The exhibition features photographs, prints, sculpture, video, and performances by artists who examine and challenge this phenomenon with their work.

The Artists:

Aaron Beebe Alexandra Townsend Brendan Picone Elizabeth Moran Elizabeth Shrier Fortune Chalme JaeWook Lee Jon Irving Jordan Chlapecka Madhuri Shukla Miles Pflanz Naomi Feuerstein Robert Brush Sylva Dean and Me Whitney Johnston Zoe Bellot

The Curators:

Laura Blüer is an artist living in Brooklyn, NY. She has a BFA from the Department of Photography & Imaging at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and a minor in Cuban Studies. Blüer interns at Recession Art and works at the Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics and the International Center of Photography. Her article “Beyond tourism in Cuba: Photographs from the other side” was published in the summer 2012 issue of Creative Sugar Magazine. Her photo essay on Cuban tobacco families in Pinar del Río was exhibited at the Ludwig Foundation in Havana, the Calumet gallery in New York City, and the Empire Hotel at Lincoln Center. Currently, Blüer is curating shows at the DIY space Fitness, a venue she started with six other artists in Bushwick.

Madelyn Ringold-Brown is a recent graduate of New College of Florida where she studied Art History and just about everything else she could fit into her schedule. She now lives in Brooklyn and is a full time intern—with positions at Recession Art, Symphony Space, and the Textile Arts Center. With her few moments of spare time she fantasizes about making documentaries and plans elaborate letters or packages specially designed for distant loved ones.

Anthony Tino began curating in college when his school shut down its student gallery. With the help of his collaborators in sculpture and printmaking, he began organizing shows in spaces on campus where this had never been considered as a possibility. Since then he has curated in start-up galleries and DIY spaces in New Paltz and organized a noise and video artist group called “No Paltz.” This past summer, he was part of a group exhibition at Chashama Gallery in midtown called Endless, which was conceived and orchestrated by the participating artists. Tino believes that curating is the strength of his printmaking and video work, and that curating occurs on all levels of artistic activity and in life. His most recent work includes an obsession with the Japanese game Go, and documenting the worst deli’s he can find.

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RAC is a project of the arts organization Recession Art and the alternative arts space CULTUREfix. Recession Art connects emerging artists with aspiring collectors and provides an affordable and accessible alternative to the traditional art market. CULTUREfix is a bar, gallery, and event space that combines food, art, and performance to offer a different idea of a public space. RAC is located on 9 Clinton Street between Houston and Stanton streets, accessible from the Second Avenue F Station and Essex Street JMZ trains. RAC is open 2-8 pm Tuesday – Sunday. Visit www.RecessionArtShows.com for more information.