Clutch Gallery is pleased to present My Novelty/ Your Novelty, Zachary Rawe’s first solo exhibition in Chicago. Rawe is a maximalist who presents installations that burst at the seams and for this exhibition the gallery has been placed on sensory overload (TMI). This playful exhibition is a small case study of America and its trickle down effect of pop culture. From a vibrating toucan, to a crudely designed plastic dinosaur, to a wrestler with a shirt stating ‘come get some’ this display offers the chance for viewers to locate and appreciate the sincerity and sarcasm, irony, pathos, and generosity in this work. Atop the pile lies one key chain that reads ZACHARY anchored the artists house keys thus creating a scenario where one can’t quickly dismiss the sculpture as unneeded refuse. With his name tied to these wonderfully (and ominously) semi-persuasive objects, the artist becomes more of a passionate advocate than a social critic. This exhibition runs through October 15.
Zach Rawe is a graduate of the Art Academy of Cincinnati with a BFA in sculpture. As an emerging artist, Rawe has already received honors including a semester long residency in New York City. He has participated in exhibitions in Cincinnati, OH: New York, NY: Covington, KY and Frankfort, KY. His work has been written about in City Beat and has recently worked with Cameron Knight on the web project about Rawe’s art practice for Citybeat in 2010. In 2009, Rawe founded the U·turn Art Space with the four other collective members. Rawe is originally from Northern Kentucky, but now lives and keeps a studio in downtown Cincinnati, OH.