curated by Ethan Crenson

Multiples and Editions will feature work by Edie Winograde, Anne Marie Wies, Piers Watson, Kathleen Vance, Jason Van Anden, Leah Stuhltrager, Anna Stein, Jeremy Slater, David Shapiro, Emily Roz, Tom Rosenthal, Matt Richards, Marshall Reese, Marcin Ramocki, Serge Onnen, Alexandra Newmark, Nora Ligorano, David Kramer, Chuck Jones, Cadence Giersbach, Robert Flynt, Celeste Fichter, Glen Einbinder, Paulo Dos Santos, Rik De Boe, Patrick Couder, Heidi Cody, Naval Cassidy, Nelson Bradley, Brian Block, Luca Bertolo and Daniel Aycock. Multiples in the show will inhabit the gallery as merchandise-for-sale permanently, or until supplies run out.

The work in Multiples and Editions engages two major opposing currents of the art market: rarification vs. mass-production in the creation of art. Each artist approaches this dichotomy differently. Some of the artists employ what are considered traditional art methods like etching and bronze casting. Rik De Boe, a Belgian artist, has produced an aquatint etching depicting the engine of mass markets—a television. Other artists turn to new commercial means and materials, like Heidi Cody, whose offset printed toilet paper reproduces cheap ads like those seen in subway cars; and Serge Onnen, who worked with a factory to make wallpaper that reproduces a single drawing as a seamless pattern of art-decor. Some, like David Shapiro, conflate the concept of the “original work” and the “editioned work” by copying and recopying a single drawing by hand, essentially becoming the printing press in the process. Still others turn to new internet businesses that quickly and cheaply produce customized “value added products”. David Kramer has produced an ashtray whose message speaks to the self-destructive leanings of its user; while Nelson Bradley subverts the pleasantries of commercial give-aways with rude messages on so-called “leave behinds”.

The exhibition will feature prototypes, working sketches and other supporting materials that relate to the multiples and editions. For instance, Glen Einbinder shows original sketches from the “Dreamcards, Science Times 2000” series. The multiple is a deck of 52 individually silk-screened cards. Each card in the deck is based on a news story that ran in the Science Times section of the New York Times in the year 2000-one card from each week of the year. He will also show the fading and yellowed newspaper clippings themselves. Edie Winograde, who produced a limited edition book compiling her photographs of reenactment pageants of historical events-from Custer’s Last Stand to Lewis and Clark’s Expedition—shows her original large scale photographs.

A printed catalog of the multiples will be available at the exhibition and all works will be available for purchase in a new online store at: www.frontroom.org/editions. The multiples and editions store will occupy a portion of the Front Room gallery permanently and the gallery will actively seek new works to be added over time.

A free preview version of Jason Van Anden’s multiple, Endless Love-an “emotive software artwork”- will be available to download for the duration of the Multiples and Editions exhibit. Go to frontroomeditions