Duo Exhibition: Matthew Stemler — Flotsam, Raphael Fenton-Spaid — John Doe Puzzles

Posted on: Wednesday, October 19th, 2011

Matthew Stemler Flotsam, wood, steel, rope, cable, wire & plexiglass 9'(h) x 13'(w) x 20'(d)

Matthew Stemler

Flotsam

Sour Apple, 2011, Acrylic and mixed media on masonite, 66 Raphael Fenton-Spaid

Raphael Fenton-Spaid

John Doe Puzzles

MATTHEW STEMLER — Flotsam
RAPHAEL FENTON-SPAID — John Doe Puzzles

October 21 – November 26, 2011
Artist Reception: October 22, 5 – 7 pm
First Friday: November 4, 6 – 8:30 pm

LGTripp Gallery is pleased to present in the front gallery an exhibition of new work by Matthew Stemler, a site-specific installation, and in the rear gallery, large-scale paintings by emerging artist Raphael Fenton-Spaid. Stemler and his brother, Jonathan, collaborated on a site-specific installation (2003-2009) at Eastern State Penitentiary, a Philadelphia historic site. This is Fenton-Spaid’s first solo exhibition of recent paintings. Both are Philadelphia-based artists.

Matthew Stemler’s installation, Flotsam, is a large construction that demonstrates his interest in combining engineered structures and delicate effects to create a contemplative space. This work compresses the overwhelming event of a flood into a personal, traversable scale. Monumental in its character, Flotsam uses large columns and bridge like bulwarks to suggest human achievement and grandness while designing an intimate interior space for more personal interaction and introspection. The circular design of the piece centers on a sculpted tortoise suspended inches above small crafted boats that seem to have been deposited by nature’s force. Proximity to a waterline established by blue paint and an array of suspended transparent shapes changes by crossing a circular bridge that encloses the back of the space. Drawings by Stemler are also included in the exhibition.

Stemler earned a B.F.A. with a Sculpture Major (Magna Cum Laude) from Temple University, Tyler School of Art, Philadelphia PA in 1995. His works have been included in exhibitions throughout the Philadelphia region. He lives and works in the Philadelphia area.

Americans are constantly flooded with graphic images of military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan. In this series, John Doe Puzzles, Raphael Fenton-Spaid takes these images and manipulates them to take away the pain and horror embedded in and associated with war. Large scale paintings are abstracted portraits, comprised of small, candy color panels reminiscent of the kitchy plastic sliding puzzles we used to play with as a kid, but these puzzles are ones that we should not and do not want to solve. Fenton-Spaid addresses how we get information from the media, in fragments, often times lacking a true understanding of the underlying story. The bright colors draw the viewer in. The question is: are we ready to know the truth behind the images?

In 2008, Fenton-Spaid earned a B.S. in Art Education at Tyler School of Art, Temple University, Philadelphia PA, and was recipient of the Gilroy Roberts Award. He devotes his time to painting and plans to pursue a M.F.A. degree in the near future.

One Response to “Duo Exhibition: Matthew Stemler — Flotsam, Raphael Fenton-Spaid — John Doe Puzzles”

  1. Michael Burmeister Says:

    This past week was my first visit to the gallery. It’s a beautiful space which accommodates both large and small work without the threat of overwhelming the pieces on view or the viewer. Both shows were very interesting to spend some time with, but being a painter I tended to be intrigued by the paintings of Fenton-Spade. His paintings contain many layers both in building of painting surface (the sculptural/object nature of the work) and surface itself. The layers of application of paint and meaning reveal themselves the more you look. Are they abstracted faces? Are they some sort of twisted landscape? They are challenging paintings once you understand Fenton-Spade’s source material. War images. This is difficult territory for any artist to take on and I applaud the effort.