Located in the heart of Salt Lake City, Erosion SLC recently held a show featuring Patrick Durka and myself: The. show entitled “Disparate Realities.” The exhibition showcases an array of works on paper, ceramic sculptures, and visual projections crafted collaboratively by the artist duo. The collection spans diverse materials and applications, most prominent being a collection ceramic objects that are carefully arranged on and around a singular pedestal. The installation also includes a wall is risograph prints behind the sculpture arrangement and in its final iteration, a projection on the objects and the black wall to the left centerpiece. In its totality the work is described by the artists as “embodying a transformative odyssey from familiar origins to unforeseen revelations. The intentional lack of a definitive conclusion in the artwork adds an unconventional and enigmatic dimension. The transition between handcrafted elements and uncharted materials varies, yet a pervasive sense of personal discovery. threads through the entire exhibition.”

The artist have used the term “Uncanny Valley” in previous conversations relating to this work. The Uncanny Valley is a term that is used when something so closely resembles a human (typically a robot or other human-like object), that it becomes difficult to tell them apart from the real thing and it becomes unsettling to the viewer. Their work in this show is not directly representing figurative for, but they are referencing the human experience. When the artists talk about how the Uncanny Valley plays into this body of work, they describe it as an appropriation of the term to refer to the landscapes rather than humans and hint at how humans interact within a landscape, specifically the objects, ideas and connections to. They are using the earth ( the clay) and earthenware to re-contextualize that experience. Using colors, shapes, forms and textures within the clay that are not typically observed or experienced within a landscape, the artists are hinting of the paradox of reality. An Uncanny experience. It is familiar and close to the truth, but feels eerie, weird, and slightly “off”in its own way.

It is a speculative landscape, filled with geological objects that can also be seen as figures in their own right. The first connotation that comes up is akin to the Swamp Thing character. A being that emerges from the landscape and is at once part of that landscape as well as autonomous and conscious in its own right. Just as it can emerge from the landscape and walk freely among us, it can also merge right back into the landscape.

The absence oof external tools or substances prompts a humble initiation for the viewer. One that gradually surveys the surrounding environment, raising inquiries about the likeness and proximity. What is our proximity to the landscape and what is our proximity to each other? The exhibition a its as a catalyst, urging viewers to question, explore, and engage with the world through alternative lenses. Within the realm of visual representation of the human experience, subjectivity reigns over. objectivity. In the 21sth century contemporary timeline, a prevalent theme emerges - the convergence of the virtual and the tangible, a blurred distinction between the physical and the digital. What is real? Is it the object that we can touch? Or is it the experience we have? If both are true and new reality, is one better than the other? The works in this show serve as a responsive commentary on the intricate challenges of of contemporary life in an increasingly digital and mediated world. “Disparate Realities” invites observers to contemplate the ever evolving landscape of our shared human experience.

- Andrew Rice (Owner and gallery director at Erosion SLC) http://www.andrewriceart.com/