Magically Suspicious Curated by Adam Lister

The world wants to be deceived.  We time travel through life, drifting in a vast sea of information and distractions, searching for the spectacular, the mysterious, and the hidden.  Magic and art have been directly linked together for thousands of years.  Both have healing powers, qualities of enchantment, and notions of secrecy.  Both raise our levels of wonder and amazement, while challenging our beliefs and expectations.  Both make us question the world around us as we concentrate and reflect upon the conceptual underpinnings of our own physical existence.  This uncertainty, paired with the excitement of the unbelievable and the suspense of the impossible, allows us to dream and believe in worlds beyond our own.  An artwork and a magic trick can both function as a mental portal for the viewer, whether it be through a manipulation of elements or a display of superhuman powers.  Our imaginations question what we see with our eyes, and in turn, our eyes question what we think we perceive.  It’s a circular illusion, an invisible energy, and it’s as ancient as it is contemporary.  It brings to light the knowledge that nothing in nature remains in a fixed position.  Can you imagine what those prehistoric people who discovered fire must have thought at first?  Wonderful, strange, and terrifying, all at the same time.  It’s that absolute balance between real and unreal that treads a fine line at a truly undefined border.   

The work selected for this exhibit revolves around concepts relating to material manipulation, visual trickery, and alternate perceptions of reality.  “Magically Suspicious” aims to draw connections between process based art, abstraction, and the desire to explore the curious and the unknown. 

The show will feature drawing, painting, photography, installation, and sculpture by 14 artists from Maryland, New York, Virginia, and Washington DC.    

Opening Reception: July 7, 2012, 3:00pm-6:00pm