I Can Do That - Show -

Opening April 13th through April 27, 2012
Variable Spaces, 1564 N. Damen, Chicago
Opening reception: Friday the 13th! April 2012
Closing reception: Friday, April 27, 2012
Curated by Jenny Lam

Art-making / merrymaking / rule-breaking / possible booty-shaking

What if we give you, o’ self-appointed art critic, the opportunity to play an active role in creating the kind of work that you so vocally long to see? Most gallery and museum shows tell you not to touch the artwork. In I CAN DO THAT, you can touch it, change it, destroy it, perfect it. This is your show. I have two pieces in this show.

“I can do that.” –Everyone, ever.

Ahhh, the four most frequently uttered words in the art world. Commonly the cause of much frustration and eye-rolling among artists, art historians, and art lovers, this [occasionally hubristic, occasionally accurate] assertion is usually countered with the retort, “But you didn’t do it.” Oftentimes, it is the concept behind a work of art that lends that work significance and meaning. Other times, some art really does suck.

What if we give you, o’ self-appointed art critic, the opportunity to play an active role in creating the kind of work that you so vocally long to see?

I CAN DO THAT is independent curator Jenny Lam’s highly anticipated follow-up to last fall’s acclaimed Exquisite Corpse show. At the exhibition, in front of each piece will be the art supplies the show’s artists used to create their respective works. With these supplies:

Exhibition visitors will be invited to “improve” some of the artwork as they see fit, directly applying medium to the work itself. This could mean anything from dotting one small corrective brushstroke to smearing paint all over and slashing the canvas. Each subsequent visitor is encouraged to make further changes. Consequently, the exhibition will constantly be in flux. There will be photo and video documentation of this continuous evolution.