Gallery owners/artists are often so focused on organizing shows for others that opportunities to show their own work are rare. Petshop and Project Project solved this problem by exchanging exhibits, that is, the owners are showing their art in the other’s venue.
Project Project owners Joshua Powell and Joel Damon opened their show, What A Dump, at Petshop during November’s Benson First Friday. Conversely, Petshop owners Joe Addison and Alex Jochim opened their show, New Work, at Project Project during November’s 2nd Friday on Vinton.
What A Dump features works by Powell and Damon, using their work as a criticism and reflection of our world today. Powell uses mixed media and painting to juxtapose unrelated objects and transform the familiar into the unusual. Damon employs mixed media and found objects to create works that take a look at the refuse allowed by people and the law.
New Work features photographs by Addison and Jochim who deal with the abstract. Adisson’s work uses non-traditional, enlarged images, such as the series called “Coffee Cosmos” created by photographing coffee cup stains. Often photographing with 35mm film, the world Jochim photographs is personal and spontaneous, so the narratives aren’t always readily available to the viewer.
New Work runs until Dec. 7 at Project Project, located on 1818 Vinton Street. Gallery hours are by appointment. For more, visit projectprojectomaha.com. What A Dump is up until mid-December at Petshop Gallery, 2725 N. 62nd St. Gallery hours are by appointment. For more, contact info@bensonfirstfriday.com.