"Beyond the Screen" at Main Line Art Center

Main Line Art Center’s Fall Exhibition

Examines Who We Are Beyond the Screen

Beyond the Screen Fall Exhibition: September 8 – October 21, 2018

Artist Talk and Opening Reception: Friday, September 14, 5:30 – 8 PM

Free and Open to the Public

HAVERFORD, PA (August 30, 2018)— Beyond the Screen, on view September 8th through October 21st, at Main Line Art Center in Haverford, examines the complexity of the online social world and how it affects our behavior, perceived identity and communication. The Center will host a free and open to the public artist talk and opening reception on Friday, September 14th from 5:30 PM – 8 PM. The exhibition, curated by Chelsea Markowitz, Curator of Exhibitions, features work by Adam Chau (Port Chester, New York), Nancy Daly (Washington, D.C.), and Dawn Kramlich (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania).

These artists question contemporary media culture and put a spotlight on its all-consuming nature. Works in clay, mixed media, video, and interactive installations address the contradictions between technology and its intended benefit to our lives and challenge us to question who we are and who we want to be on the other side of the screen.

“With Beyond the Screen, Main Line Art Center is delighted to present the inspiring work of artists who intentionally challenge the technological status-quo,” said Thomas Scurto-Davis, Executive Director of Main Line Art Center. “Through their work, these three artists offer a unique opportunity to confront both the positive and (potentially) negative consequences of ubiquitous technologies. The irony of placing technology - with its binary regularity - into a non-digital artmaking context compounds the depth of that examination, inspiring the viewer to confront their complex relationship with the modern world.”

Adam Chau’s research and practice explore how craftspeople can introduce the human hand into computer-controlled environments. He creates handmade tools that replace standardized cutting bits on CNC machines, in order to complete tasks such as decorating a ceramic plate. These handmade tools, replacing their digital counterparts, result in uniquely individual pieces even when the digitized cutting program is repeated exactly. This methodology has the potential to change the craft and design industry where a hybrid practice melds the benefits of both worlds. There are three elements which make up his process: the tool, the performance, and the object. To increase the understanding of this practice Chau utilizes all three components, the performance component in the form of video. The work is produced in multiples, which creates both large and minute differences. Chau holds an MDES from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He has worked internationally - notably for Atelier Ted Noten in Amsterdam and Fabrica in Treviso, Italy. He is currently the Program Manager at the Clay Art Center in Port Chester, NY.

Nancy Daly’s current body of work examines how the development of the online social world is affecting identity and social behavior. By creating interactive machines reminiscent of outdated technology, she addresses the contradictions present in various social media that are at once ephemeral and entirely permanent. Interactivity and the vocabulary of minimalist sculpture are key elements of her installations. They challenge the viewer to look beyond the convenience of online technology and consider what participation in social media means. Daly is a graduate of the Photographic and Electronic Media MFA program at the Maryland Institute College of Art. She lives and works in Washington, D.C. where she teaches Photography, Visual Literacy, 2D Design and 3D Design at American University and George Mason University.

Dawn Kramlich’s work explores Information-based digital technologies (the Internet, cell phones, and social media), how they effect our brains’ processing of information and consequently change both our communication methods and the way we use verbal language. Kramlich deconstructs moments of miscommunication through the selection of text which has been carefully altered and/or repeated to create ambiguity. She strives to inspire the viewer’s contemplation of their relationship to (and with) language. Kramlich earned her BA degree from Muhlenberg College, with a double major in English and Art and her MFA in Studio Art from Moore College of Art & Design. Kramlich has shown her work widely in the US, and internationally in Ireland. She was recently a finalist for the Meyer Family Award for Contemporary Art at the Main Line Art Center.

Main Line Art Center is the community’s home to discover, create, and experience visual art. The mission of Main Line Art Center is to inspire and engage people of all ages, abilities, and economic means in visual art through education, exhibitions, and experiences. Committed to increasing the visibility and accessibility of art, Main Line Art Center offers educational classes and workshops for all ages, abilities, and economic means and presents innovative exhibitions and events throughout the community. In 2015, Main Line Art Center received the Commitment to Cultural Access Award from Art-Reach for the Center’s Accessible Art Programs for children and adults with disabilities, now in their 54th year. Additionally, the Art Center grants over $12,000 in need-based scholarships annually. Last year, Main Line Art Center engaged 21,000 people through classes, exhibitions, and Summer Art Camp, and touched the lives of over 78,000 through exhibitions in the community and festivals across the Philadelphia area.

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High Resolution Images are available on Dropbox here