Robert Minervini: Sunken Dreams

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Robert Minervini—Sunken Dreams

May 7th 2011 to May 28th 2011

Opening: May 7 th 2011, 6-10pm

Gallery Hijinks proudly presents Sunken Dreams, a solo exhibition by Robert Minervini. The paintings in this new body of work are inspired by the history of the geodesic dome and are a continuation of the artist’s urban landscapes exploring utopian and dystopian environments. Please join us for the opening reception on May 7th, 2011 from 6-10pm.

The word Utopia originates from the literal Greek meaning “non place,” suggesting that perfection can only exist in the realm of imagination. Minervini’s work presents invented spaces that are based on reality, but revel in artificiality. In these desolate dreamlike non-places, the artist subverts nature and constructs or destroys architectural sites alluding to the making of a utopian and/or dystopian environment.

“Sunken Dreams” suggests the potential futility of aspiring for a better future in the face of humanity’s self-destructiveness. The inspiration for this series comes from the life and work of R. Buckminster Fuller who had, among other things, popularized the geodesic dome. Fuller had a vision for a utopian future, one which he saw as attainable through the innovation and implementation of science and engineering. Fuller’s iconic dome structure was the pinnacle of his design and by implementing them into this body of work, the artist hopes to make a connection between Fuller’s ideologies through symbolically utilizing his structures.

Minervini draws reference from an archive of photographs both personal and researched in order to construct the environments within each composition. With this framework he then utilizes innovative painting techniques to create layer upon layer of depth and texture. Vibrant colors remove the image from its reality and call attention to the origin of the digital image. “While I am interested in the process of working from digitally processed imagery, I place a strong emphasis on spontaneity, materiality, and revealing the painting process.” The end result is an image where abandoned landscapes stretch to the horizon and vast ruins of urban decay slowly crumble under the beauty of a pastel sunset.

Robert Minervini received his MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2009, and his BFA from Tyler School of Art in 2005. His work has been exhibited nationally including Marine Contemporary, Santa Monica Museum of Art, Eleanor Harwood Gallery, The Brooklyn Historical Society, the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery, and the Pennsylvania State Museum. He has been awarded the Murphy/Cadogan Fellowship by the San Francisco Foundation in 2008, and the Edwin Austin Abbey Mural Fellowship by the National Academy of Fine Arts in 2008. He has been a resident artist at the Headlands Center for the Arts, the Vermont Studio Center, and the Root Division Studio Program. His work has been published in New American Painting No.91, and Mural Art: Large Scale Art from Walls Around the World.

Sunken Dreams opens May 7th, 2011 and will be on display until May 28th, 2011 and is open to the public.

Artist Statement

The word Utopia originates from the literal Greek meaning “non place,” suggesting that perfection can only exist in the realm of imagination. My work presents invented spaces that are based on reality, but revel in artificiality. In these desolate dreamlike non-places, I subvert nature and construct or destroy architectural sites alluding to the making of a utopian and/or dystopian environment.

The title for this exhibition, “Sunken Dreams,” suggests the potential futility of aspiring for a better future in the face of humanity's self-destructiveness. This body of work considers the current pivotal moment in shaping a future with (or without) humanity. Inspired by the work of R. Buckminster Fuller, a visionary for a utopian future who popularized the geodesic dome, this series of paintings places Fuller's dome structures in various stages of decay in virtual settings as part of an invented narrative space where one is confronted with the destruction of a utopian future.

Showing Through: May 7th - May 28th, 2011