Civic Center, New York
David J. Merritt
Flesh of My Flesh
Kansas GalleryKansas is pleased to announce the second solo exhibition of new work by David J. Merritt. Referring to the passage in Genesis in which Eve is created from Adam’s bone, Flesh of My Flesh uses this reference as a launch point to examine human relationship with technological objects as extensions of the body. Merritt will present a set of totems and a wall glyph constructed from single sheets of bent aluminum. Inspired by industrial computer design, the “Chassis” series anthropomorphize the static exterior shell. In contrast, works made of yellow, dyed polyvinyl acetate (wood glue) are poured and cast from sections of the studio floor. Designed to evolve over the course of the exhibition, the skin-like forms will transform from a vibrant yellow, to a hazy orange and finally deep crimson. The title work is a video diptych presented on commercial displays typically used for digital signage. In Merritt’s signature style, fleshy-mirrored forms derived from photographs of “dead sculpture” are digitally programmed to itch along the video frame. The two forms never intersect but instead appear to mimic each other’s moments in a seamless, never-ending loop. David J. Merritt received his MFA in Studio Art from New York University Steinhardt, 2011. He received his BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2004 with a focus in video, performance and critical theory. In 2005 he received a CAAP Grant from The City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. He was selected to represent Honolulu in New Media at the Artists of Hawai’i Biennial 2009. His work has been included in group exhibitions in New York, Los Angeles, Paris and Brussels. In 2011 he participated in residency programs at Denniston Hill in New York and NonObjectif Sud in Tulette, France. His work was featured in the Fall 2011 edition of NY Arts Magazine and he was selected as one of their 30 Artists to Watch in 2012. He currently lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.