Trestle Projects
400 3rd Ave, Brooklyn NY 11215
(F, G, R at 4th ave and 9th st)
Open Hours: Saturday + Sunday 1pm-6pm
and by appointment -
[email protected]Opening Reception: September 23rd; 7-9PM
On view: Sat + Sun; 1–6PM, September 24th – October 22nd, 2017
Organized by Jesse Bandler Firestone
Featuring: Jeffrey Hargrave, Esperanza Mayobre, Carlos Motta, Joe Ovelman, Hunter Reynolds, and Heidi Schlatter
Tracing Trajectories is a celebratory exhibition that champions the collection and sensibilities of art patrons Barry Hoggard and James Wagner. The pair have been collecting art together for over two decades, starting in the 90s, and have assembled over 1,000 pieces from recognized, outsider, and emerging artists. Barry and James are not typical collectors: James is an artist and was actively involved in theatrical zaps during the AIDS Crisis; Barry has worked for tech startups for a number of years, and is currently employed at Artsy. Their personal lives are emblematic of how, as patrons, their gaze is not from the outside but rather embraces the humbler and more personal, social aspects of the art world. A significant number of works in their collection are gifts from artists and reflect a mutual affection. While many collectors view art as an investment, Barry and James surround themselves with artists they love, and work they love to learn from.
This exhibition looks at six artists, from a collection of over 500 artists, including Jeffrey Hargrave, Esperanza Mayobre, Carlos Motta, Joe Ovelman, Hunter Reynolds, and Heidi Schlatter. These artists represent the essence of the collection and their work tackles a range of difficult subjects including chronic illness and life after death, or offer poignant criticisms of media culture, nationalism, racism, and religion. While this exhibition expresses their choices over 25 years, it is also important to show that James and Barry's collecting does not exist in isolation; thus recent works by the selected artists are exhibited alongside works from the collection. These pairings trace a trajectory of each artist's thinking over time, as well as changes in the collective consciousness, and simultaneously offer insight into James and Barry's keen sensibilities by showing where these artists are now.