IVIN BALLEN

IVIN BALLEN, CEO Ivin Ballen | Keith J. Vardi May 11 - June 20, 2014 Bunker259 259 Banker Street Brooklyn, NY Opening: May 11th, 6PM Bunker259 is pleased to open the exhibition titled Ivin Ballen, CEO by Brooklyn artist Ivin Ballen of a single work, Untitled, in conjunction with a text by Los Angeles-based artist, poet, and curator, Keith J. Varadi. Bunker 259 will participate in Greenpoint Gallery Night on May 9, 2014 open from 7-9 PM with the official opening on May 11, 2014 from 6-8 PM. For the run of the show viewings will be open to the public by appointment only. Ballen approaches painting as an arranger. The tenets of his painting practice have relationships with industrial design and architecture. 1.  This painting relates only to itself. 2a.  Compositional decisions are architectural. While (physically) all this painting must do is hang from the actual architecture, it is imperative for paintings to have good reasons for themselves. Few things are essential, but many are inherently crucial to the structure of this painting. Though, this is not to say that this painting must harmonize or be formally resolved. See Henry Mercer's Fonthill. 2b.  On composition: These are representations of constructions of simple building materials. Initially, there is very little concern about joinery; only concerns about composition. The objects are as much about placement as they are about mark-making. 2c. On Color: Equally important to color is tone. Differences heighten and diminish compositional elements. 3a.  Unlike design objects, paintings are dominantly decorative. Ideal environments for rapid understanding of paintings are clean and monotone. Domestic or studio environments introduce considerable interruption. However, viewing artwork in the home promotes passive absorption and comfort. 3b. On painting’s decorative nature: This is not to be taken dismissively—its only function is to be seen; thus, it must provide static fodder. Each painting is the record of a song, game, performance, or any other definitive activity. It is a series of decisions within a spectrum of colors and a category of shapes that likens itself to a marionette dancing. 4.  On construction: This relates to 2b—floppiness and lazy improvisation demand great attention later. Like a well-designed object, it is crucial that this painting delivers an uninterrupted viewing. While it is an accurate three-dimensional depiction of an arranged mess, it is just as well if the viewer only sees it as such. About Bunker259 Bunker259 is dedicated to providing artists and writers with a platform and outlet for collaboration. A single artwork in conjunction with a text will be exhibited in a space open to the public by appointment. The purpose of the appointment is to foster an intimate and focused viewing experience. These collaborations between writer, artist, and Bunker259 will be documented in an edition of the Bunker259 book series, published on the occasion of each exhibition. www.bunker259.org #fineartmagazine