Exhibition

School of Visual Arts presents “So Hot Right Now,” an exhibition of work by MFA Fine Arts students selected by a jury of their peers. Organized by SVA Galleries and curated by MFA Fine Arts students Amalia Mourad and Ali Spechler, “So Hot Right Now” is on view Thursday, July 9, through Thursday, August 6, at the SVA Chelsea Gallery, 601 West 26th Street, 15th floor, New York City.

"So Hot Right Now" is a summer survey show focusing on how how ritual can form identity and exploring the concept of invented tradition put forth by historian Eric Hobsbawm. How far may new traditions be forced to invent new languages or devices, or extend the old symbolic vocabulary beyond its established limits? Participating artists include Eli Barak, Sean Donovan, Delano Dunn, Ron Erlih, HHU, Scarlett Lingwood, Susan Luss, Amalia Mourad, Jonathan Schouela and Ali Shrago-Spechler.

Eli Barak's work uses found objects, spaces and ideas, uncovering their potential for breaking social barriers while also investigating both individual and cultural identity. The use of the familiar in unfamiliar ways builds a sense of intimacy as well as disorientation, while asking questions about existence through embodiment of the ridiculous. 

Sean Donovan’s multimedia work, The Conversation, utilizes a mirror and monitor to explore the symbiotic relationship between painting and viewer.

Delano Dunn is a California native. His work reflects his experiences growing up in South Central Los Angles and examines the complexity and diversity of the African American experience.

Ron Erlih’s multimedia project, Invitation 2015, includes clips from studio visits he has experienced as well as platforms for participating in online activity both in and outside of the gallery (e.g., twitter.com/nakedinelevators, wargifs.tumblr.com).

Hhu explores the process of cleaning in both public and private spaces through performance and sculpture. Dirt never disappears, but is transferred from one material to another.

Scarlett Lingwood presents tracings of past works made with newspaper and magazines, exploring repetitive process and the utilization of found materials.

Susan Luss’ Vefa is a weaving that came out of her desire to experience a larger connection to the world through simple actions, such as walking down the street, having a conversation with a stranger along the way or stopping to listen to a red bird sing a mating song or appreciate any of the myriad of layered sights and sounds that occur daily.

Amalia Mourad’s Aaron and Guy invents a new first man, this time named Aaron instead of Adam, who exists post-apocalypse in the “third cycle of the world.” According to Mourad, “He will have a beard and a polka-dot bathing suit. He will live in a cave called Kaja’s Cave, which will protect him from the elements. And he will have two best friends: a plant pillow and dead dog. One day Aaron will meet Guy, who also likes to wear a polka-dot bikini, and they will fall in love for a little bit. Guy carries around a monkey wrench almost everywhere he goes. It makes him feel secure and powerful. His interests include monkeys, ice cream and daydreaming. One night, Guy will find a bottle. ‘Don’t drink from the bottle!’ Aaron will yell. But Guy will not listen and he will drink. . . . And soon Guy and Aaron will be stuck in the ghost world.”

Jonathan Schouela’s “The Other Side of the World” is a group of drawings of dragon paintings appropriated from online fantasy-art communities, presented in chromed ready-made picture frames sitting on top of an acrylic end table and counter. They are drawings of paintings, presented as photographs in an assemblage sculpture.

Ali Shrago-Spechler’s installation Shake Your Lulav, Rabbi Tuffs investigates ritual, utilizing her own invented traditions and approaches to American Judaism.

Juried exhibitions are a way for SVA’s student body to recognize the achievements of their classmates. Artists are selected from a large pool of applicants through a rigorous examination of presented materials, including documentation of work and artist statements.