"Redirection of Perception" & "Seelensuche" Open at Ch'i Contemporary Fine Art Plus: Special event "Plays well with Others" - All in February

Brooklyn, NY (PRWEB) February 2, 2006 -- Ch'i Contemporary Fine Art is happy to announce the their winter season at the gallery starting with a special event, "Plays well with others" on February 3rd. This evening of art, video and performance features New York artist, Steven Perkins whose artist's book was recently added to M.O.M.A.'s permanent collection. Doors open at 7pm and performances begin at 8pm at the gallery's Williamsburg location: 293 Grand St. Brooklyn, NY

In addition to this evenings event, Ch'i is also happy to announce the opening of two photography exhibitions on February 11th. The first, "The Redirection of Perception" showcases the silver gelatin prints of NYC artist, Jimmy Serkoch. The second, "Seelensuche" or soul search exhibits the pigment prints of German photographer, Reiner Weidmann. Both exhibitions run until March 11, 2006 with a public reception for both on February 17th from 6-9pm - again at Ch'i's Williamsburg location: 293 Grand St. Brooklyn, NY

Plays well with Others

"Plays well with Others" is a evening event on Feb. 3rd featuring the art, video and performances of NY artist, Steven Perkins. Mr. Perkins has worked in painting, collage, video and performance for many years - fitting the media to his ideas. He says of his work, " Journeys in creative expression take me across borders into a variety of mediums. My collages are influenced by my experience making films (long shot, medium shot, close up, extreme close up). My painting is influenced by my photography (light and shade, arrested motion). Work in web design has me exploring typography and graphics (page layout, scale, repetition, inversion). Playing with type leads to playing with words which leads to playing with foreign translations. Each medium informs the other. "

"Plays well with Others" will showcase each of Mr. Perkins media - from the paintings and collages hung on the wall such as his Territories Foreign and Domestic series and his Angels of Jazz series to videos such as Angels of Jazz, Blue Bill, Burrito Grande, Move it, and Killing Time to his performances of "The Nomad (aka On becoming a Zen Mexican)", "Thumbnail Sketch", "A Drop in the Bucket" and excerpts from "A Man Ought to Know". The latter, "A Man Ought to Know" is an artists book which Steven created after the birth of his son. It is filled with his writings of what a man should remember as he goes through life along with his own illustrations of the ideas. This wonderful book was recently added to M.O.M.A.'s permanent collection of artists' books and the "Plays Well with Others" event will be in part a celebration of this inclusion. As a special feature of the evening, the Bernier Dance Co. will also perform a short piece which they set to Mr. Perkins, "Blue Bill" video. Doors open at 7pm for the event with performances and videos beginning at 8pm $10 at the door. For more information or to make reservations call Ch'i at 718 218 8939.

"The Redirection of Perception

Also opening at Ch'i in February are two photography exhibitions. The First, "The Redirection of Perception" showcases the silver gelatin prints of Jimmy Serkoch. Mr. Serkoch who holds an MFA from NYU in photography is perhaps best known for the work he does at Kelton Labs - the foremost black and white printing lab on the East coast. Mr. Serkoch as Chuck Kelton's right hand man assists in printing the exhibition prints for Lilian Bassman, Helen Levitts, Lou Stegner, Mary Ellen Marks, Sally Gaul, And Time Life Photographs as well as more recently for Irving Penn and Matthew Barney. The exhibition at Ch'i will illustrate both Mr. Serkoch's magnificent printing and compositional abilities. This solo exhibition is his second in NYC in the last 3 years. His prints are included in the permanent collection of the City Museum of New York and at the Musee L'Eysee in Switzerland as well as in many private collection across the USA.

"The Redirection of Perception" exhibition running from February 11- March 11, 2006 will exhibit Jimmy Serkoch's philosphy of the difference between perception and reception. In his own words, " I utilize my photography to explore these aspects, to show an essential difference between perception and reception. Put simply, reception is passive, perception dynamic. Reception is a surface encounter with an object. The world washes over and past the receptive viewer with little remaining behind. Meaning stays outside the viewer’s personal experience. Things are accepted as they appear instead of being pursued or investigated. In contrast, perception is a personal involvement with an object, a deeper engagement with the world at hand. Meaning is mainly constructed by and for the viewer. To perceive is as much about the observing as what is actually observed. This I feel makes us closer and more responsible for the world we are experiencing and helping to define." While Mr. Serkoch's last four series of photographs have explored these ideas in various ways, "The Redirection of Perception" exhibition will focus mainly on his Roof and his Myth series. Come visit the exhibition during gallery hours: Mondays 9am-4pm, 7 Thurs.- Sun 11:30am-8pm to see for yourselves or join Mr. Serkoch at the reception on February 17th from 6-9pm at Ch'i 293 Grand St. Brooklyn, NY

Seelensuche

The final event and 2nd exhibition at Ch'i - "Seelensuche" will also open on February 11th and run through March 11, 2006. "Seelensuche" which means soul search features the pigment prints of german photographer, Reiner Weidmann. Mr. Weidmann who has been active as a photographer, a university professor, a psychotherapist and an executive coach says his photography is the constant. His prints have explored human life and activity in each of the other fields in which Mr. Weidmann was employed. Most recently, he has dealt in his photography with human borderline situations. He feels that "The project “Soul Searching“ turned into a common work of himself and the gentleman who was photographed, when the photographer(Reiner) offered him a discourse on the images that were already taken. Through this means he(Reiner) could question and improve his own perception of the taxing situation and sharpen his photographic view."

In exquisite, humane detail "Seelensuche" or "soul search" depicts the final journey of an elderly gentleman as he moves beyond life on earth. The exhibition of Mr.Weidmann's fourteen pigment prints offer a quiet elegy to the now deceased gentleman and too the artist hopes they raise questions of what follows life for each viewer. Join Mr. Weidmann on February 17th from 6-9pm for a reception and hear a discussion on these issues.

For More information

For more information on the "Plays well with Others" evening on Feb. 3, from 7-9pm or on the photography exhibitions, "The Redirection of Perception" and "Seelensuche" which run from Feb. 11- Mar. 11, 2006 with a public reception on Feb. 17th contact Ch'i director, Tracy Causey-Jeffery @ 718 218 8939 or via email at tracy@qianartspace.com All three events take place at Ch'i located at 293 Grand St. in the Williamsburg district of Brooklyn NY. Gallery hours are Mon. 9am-4pm & Thurs.- Sun. 11:30am-8pm.

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