June 20th through July 18th, 2009 Artist’s Reception: Saturday June 20th, 7pm - 10pm
Rowan Morrison Gallery is proud to announce Steven Barich: The Logic Stone and other new work opening on June 20th, 2009
In his solo exhibition, Barich presents a new series consisting of graphite works on paper, mixed-media wall sculpture and short video. This series investigates the relationship between visual patterns, codes and text in the digital age. Barich blends organic shapes, ranging from abstractions to anonymous silhouettes, with geometric patterns and coded writing that creates an association between the natural and virtual worlds, blurring the boundaries of the two.
The work on display at Rowan Morrison Gallery is focused around one large-scale work (42 x 60 inches) and accompanied by a group of smaller 16 x 16 inch drawings, each related to Chinese Scholar’s Rocks. Historically, Chinese Scholar's Rocks were appreciated for their physical/visual representation of a spiritual concept of universal balance embodied in a unique natural object—the rock itself. However, most rocks were "improved" by human hands, a process known but hidden. The Logic Stone and other artworks adopt that process of manipulation via pattern and various manifestations of visual information, to arrange a modern form of balance between the natural form and digital or processed information.
Steven Barich holds an MFA from Mills College, and a BFA from California College of the Arts. Recent exhibitions include a solo show at The Compound Gallery (Oakland) and Animal Magnetism at The Orange County Center for Contemporary Art. He has shown widely in the last decade at renowned local spaces like 21 Grand, StartSOMA, CELLspace, and Southern Exposure, in addition to spending time as an artist in residence in the Netherlands, and exhibiting throughout Europe. He lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area, California.
Rowan Morrison Gallery is an artist-run exhibition space in Oakland, California. The gallery and art book publisher is owned and operated by Pete and Narangkar Glover, both graduates of California College of the Arts. The focus of Rowan Morrison Gallery is to exhibit artists whose work and ethics reflect critical thought in contemporary art. By offering solo exhibitions the artist is allowed to express a full body of work early in his/her career. The gallery features an eclectic selection of artist books, zines, paper goods and prints as an avenue for individuals to affordably, yet intellectually pursue art in any vein.
