I AM NOT A CARTOON

April Childers, Curator
September 24, 2021 - November 20, 2021

Opening:
September 24, 6 - 9 PM

I am not a cartoon

Preamble

I’m trying to get my foot into my mouth, errr I mean out of my mouth. Honestly, I don’t know where my foot is supposed to go anymore. I guess it doesn’t matter and I kinda like not knowing. It’s supposed to be attached, down there, under my ankle but I'm in pieces these days. You probably couldn’t see it anyway because it’s covered by an absurdly large, colorful, oversized shoe with an extra bulbous toe area. I picked these shoes because the only thing that brings me joy is momentarily taking them off.

Audience enters

Works in this exhibition are responses from a current location of chaos where cultural/personal/political events and influences ricochet as if living inside the highest level of Pong. The seemingly desperate visual calculations and language used in these works intentionally appear to necessarily and constantly reposition themselves. Next level unlocked?! Secret level of Farce.

Comedy ensues

Instances of tragedy and horror in structured systems call for the production of various lampoons, lewd writings, memes, unpronounceable baby names, and the critique of them. Moving out from a space of dejection and into an uncertain, middle space where facetiousness reigns. While piecing together this new and unfamiliar narrative, the artist becomes a character of sorts. Proof of the political being personal is revealed in the guise of the artist as character.

Cue laughter 

Artists - Emily Clayton, Matthew Drennan Wicks, Jerry Gogosian, Johanna Keefe, David Leggett, Kalup Linzy, Paul Mcmahon, Chris Musina, Rose Nestler, Willie Wayne Smith, Dylan Spaysky, Kirsten Stoltmann, Siebren Versteeg, and Jason Yates.

Bio

April Childers (b. 1979), received her BFA from The University of Tennessee and her MFA from The University of South Florida. Exhibitions include Regina Rex, NY, NY., New Capital, Chicago, IL., Field Projects, NY, NY., Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), NY, NY., Vito Schnabel and Bruce High Quality Foundation, NY, NY., Small Editions, Brooklyn, NY., White Projects, Paris, FR., Kimberly Klark, Ridgewood, NY., Zola/ Liebermann Gallery, Chicago, IL., Grace Exhibition Space, Brooklyn, NY., The Front, New Orleans, LA ., Hood Gallery, Brooklyn, NY., Helper, Brooklyn, NY., CR10, Linlithgo, NY., Emerson Dorsch, Miami, FL., Imersten, Vienna, AT., Kurant, Tromsø, Norway, Knockdown Center, Flushing, NY., Camayuhs, Atlanta, GA., Field Projects, NY., Orgy Park, Brooklyn, NY., MyRoom, Chapel Hill, NC., The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center, KY. LabSpace, Hillsdale, NY. and most recently VSOP Projects, Greenport, NY. April is the former Director and Curator of Lump, Raleigh, NC. Previous curatorial engagements include BAM, Brooklyn, NY,. Penelope, Ridgewood, NY., Camayuhs, Atlanta, GA., Atlanta Contemporary, Atlanta, GA., and LOG, Chapel Hill, NC. April currently lives and works in Carrboro, NC.

@aprilisdead
www.aprilchilders.com