February 19, 2010: Opening Reception and Artist Talk, 6:30pm

March 5, 2010: First Friday Reception, 7-10pm

ARTIST TALK: Saturday, March 27th, 3 p.m.

Please join us for the closing of Forest For The Trees.  Exhibiting artist Dana Sperry will give an expanded artist talk discussing the work that lead up to his current work.  He will also discuss the Ugly Arts project.  Please visit www.danasperry.com and www.uglyobjects.com for more information.

With their exhibition Forest For The Trees, Dana Sperry and Chad Erpelding challenge the viewer to look at the effect of globalization on the individual.On Friday, February 19, the exhibition will open to the public with a reception from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The evening will also feature a talk by the two artists at 6:30 p.m. The exhibition closes on Saturday, March 27 at 5 p.m.

Globalization has come to a forefront in business development over the past several years, and now it is beginning to penetrate the everyday lives of most individuals. It has reshaped our world, and thus deserves careful scrutiny and thoughtful analysis.

Through the use of video, Sperry takes on a stance of isolation or disconnect. To express this view, he uses the movement of commuters in a fractured space. Each of Sperry’s pieces considers different aspects of contemporary remoteness. Sperry states, “I am exploring states of loneliness and isolation resulting from experiences that convey insignificance within a modern post-industrial society.”

With painting as his medium, Erpelding takes on a different perspective addressing a connection between various places. This connection is inspired by his research of the activities of major global corporations. Erpelding’s work investigates the physical and mental spread of culture on a global scale through references to maps and charts. “I emphasize globalization’s role in propagating specific ways of associating ourselves with our surroundings and culture through urban/suburban development, international business organizations, political systems and personal experiences.”

Living in Richmond, Sperry has exhibited his work nationally and internationally at such venues as the Rural Research Labs at the Arnot Art Museum in Elmira, N.Y. and the Galerie Insight in Strasbourg, France. To learn more, visit Sperry’s website: www.danasperry.com.

Erpelding, living and working in Nacogdoches, Texas, has exhibited his work throughout the country including New American Talent: 23 at the Arthouse at the Jones Center in Austin, Texas. And the Cactus Bra in San Antonio,Texas. To learn more, visit Erpelding’s website: www.chaderpelding.com.