ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN LIP SERVICE WEB MAGAZINE
One could attempt to read discord in comparing the maniacal whimsy of a Rudy Coby video to the brooding intensity of a Nick Kushner painting or sultry creepiness of an Anthony Silva photograph. Yet, they blended seamlessly, displayed to let the viewer experience little tastes of each as they took in different areas of the exhibit. One was reminded of fine dining restaurants, where a tasting menu is considered the ultimate experience of complete enjoyment. Like the best tasting menu, there was a subtle commonality tying the threads of ideas together to make for a more satisfying visual feast.
At their root, all three artists’ works challenge us to not just reconsider our perceptions, but overhaul how we perceive ourselves and the world around us. They tempt us to look deeper for the surreal lurking beneath the fragile shell of accepted reality. They embrace the constancy of the the dark and celebrate the nobility of the profane. One feels as if they’re witnessing something deeply personal and private in the collected works. It’s almost as if we’re seeing things we know we shouldn’t, yet can’t bring ourselves to look away. Coby, Kushner, and Silva, in their group effort, offered more than a glimpse into themselves; they invited us to take a leisurely stroll around their psyches. What we found was neither sanity nor madness, but a place where they mesh as comfortably as the art on display and its creators.