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Ries Niemi
My Phone Tells Me to Do Bad Things
January 3 – February 3, 2008
Opening Reception:
5-8pm
First Thursday, January 3, 2008
Artist will be in attendance the first and final Saturdays
of the month.
Using his ironic brand of dark humor, Ries Niemi presents a
vision of cell phones as a life form, manipulating humanity
for their own purposes. Niemi claims to have purchased, sight
unseen, this collection of objects from a mini-storage auction.
Vamping on the familiar themes of conspiracy theory and paranoia,
Niemi examines just how exactly that cell phone got into his
pocket, and who is really in charge.
Inspired by the Classics (in this case an equal measure of Andy
Warhol and the Beastie Boys) Niemi cuts and pastes pop culture
in a variety of mediums, including: digital imaging, embroidery,
wood, paper, textiles and metal. In his installation, pages
from old books, fossils, textiles, metallic objects, even furniture
and clothing document the surprising centuries long attempts
by cell phones to take over the world.
Ries loves his phone. Ries hates his phone.
Working in a broad range of media, Niemi has shown widely around
the country, and works extensively in public art, including
a new piece on Pine Street adjacent to the Paramount Theater,
"Eat, Drink, and Be Merry.”
The critics are raving about Niemi:
”Niemi makes art about technology which is the result
of elaborate technological processes.” –Matthew
Kangas
“Ignorant Idiot” –Unregistered User #76582
“fetish penis art... a satire of patriarchy? or ... a
celebration of male hubris?” –Jae Carlsson
“Bad Ideas, Bad Imagination, and Bad Motives. This is
Bad, and that is that.” –Charles Mudede
“Dad is a Fool.” –Torque Niemi
“Lounge Lizard gone Country Boy…”
–Regina Hackett
“You’re not that funny.” –Sheila Klein
Hours: Noon-5pm Friday-Sunday,
or by appointment.
Next Exhibition:
Jen Erickson
(more info)
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Download Press Release
in Word format
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