Artists: Tiffany Calvert, Jonny Detiger, Megan Maloy, Yukiko Nakashima, William Ortega

The expression Keeping it Real embodies what the garage is all about. Located in an urban working class neighborhood where the closest cultural institution is the dollar store, the garage brings art to the street. The space itself is at street level in a working one car garage. The five artists represented in this exhibition work within the realm of realism in one way or another. Jonny Detiger better known for his bold, colorful paintings depicting generalized figures in stylized landscapes will present a sculptural installation on the outside of the garage doors. The installation will blow out aromatic bubbles into the Jersey City air. Tiffany Calvert uses 19th century landscape painting conventions to bring the outside into elaborate architectural interiors. Distortions and questions are raised about what is real and what is illusion or in her case downright trickery. Megan Maloy’s photographs depict “real life” situations presented in saturated color and clarity. She turns the camera on herself, her friends, and pets with a hip, sophisticated eye. Yukiko Nakashima creates complicated self portraits through performance, painting and photography. Always searching for a way to communicate her inner fears and desires her work functions as a confessional, allowing the viewer to see what she dare not speak. William Ortega creates work that examines identity and the sometime contradictions that arise from such a quest. The video represented here is about his return to Columbia and all the conflicting emotions and fears connected with that journey.

Curated by Margaret Murphy