A show by a great new NYC gallery: Every Dog Has Its Day: Newspaper Sculpture by Will Kurtz
May 17 – June 28, 2019
Opening Reception: May 16, 6-8pm
Avant Gallery, 30 Hudson Yards, Main level, New York, NY 10001
Avant Gallery is pleased to announce Every Dog Has Its Day: Newspaper Sculpture by Will Kurtz, the artist’s first solo exhibition with the gallery, at the Hudson Yards location in Manhattan’s West Side neighborhood. On view May 17 through June 28, 2019, the exhibition will be preceded by an opening reception the evening of Thursday, May 16th, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.
Will Kurtz is known widely for his life-sized, figurative sculptures which depict everyday life through the handcrafting of newspaper into compassionate scenes. Every Dog Has Its Day elaborates further on this penchant for emotional ephemerality, as Kurtz turns his hand to the canine form, inspired by the rescues currently up for adoption at the New York Humane Society.
Mid-sniff, mid-pace, a ragtag group of varying size and shape are frozen in activity from within an installation of stacked kennels. Some hounds fantastical in coloring, others more pure to reality, the original breed and character of Kurtz’s source rise to the surface. You hear the barking with your eyes, as different narrative moments appear through the tricks and fabled exploits of the four-legged beasts, poignantly echoed through the artist’s own adaptation of recycled material.
Each figure’s anatomy a blend of discarded news headlines and faded photographs, the fused text and image embody assemblages both joyous and melancholic. Reminiscent of the wax sculptures of Urs Fischer or the tableaus of Red Grooms, these rich, textural molds lay bare the profundity of the human condition through unassuming playfulness. They are, after all, man’s best friend.
Over the course of the exhibition, Kurtz will be in residence at the gallery every Saturday and Sunday. Each weekend Kurtz will perform his act of creation, literally bringing new sculptures to life for gallery visitors. These special events will be ticked at $10, and along with a portion of exhibition proceeds, will directly benefit the Humane Society of New York. More information about the HSNY can be found at http://www.humanesocietyny.org/
Will Kurtz (b. 1957 Flint, Michigan) began his art practice at the age of 50, after working many years as a professional landscape architect. He earned an MFA from the New York Academy of Art in 2009. His work has been included in both solo and group exhibitions, including those held at Kim Foster Gallery (NY); Galerie Sebastien Adrien (Paris); Galerie Van Campen & Rochus (Antwerp, Belgium); Villa DoMuse (Honfluer, France); Kaplan Institute (Chicago); Clark Gallery (Provincetown, MA) and Mike Weiss Gallery (NY). Kurtz has held professorships with institutions such as Pennsylvania State University, Lyme Academy (Connecticut), and the New York Academy of Art. He currently lives and works in New York City.