peak gallery | contemporary art | zack pospieszynski

November 23, 2004 Peak Gallery and Roam Contemporary in New York \| IGNIS FATUUS Lyn Carter, Kathryn Dain, and Melissa Day > opening Tuesday, November 23 \| 6 - 10pm or by appointment 111 West 89th Street #2A New York - between Columbus and Amsterdam

IGNIS FATUUS The Illusions of Lyn Carter, Kathryn Dain, and Melissa Day Moving from the East Village to the Upper West Side, Peak Gallery and Roam Contemporary are pleased to announce their second exhibition featuring works by Canadian artists Kathryn Dain, Lyn Carter and Melissa Day. Ignis Fatuus is defined as something that misleads or deludes; an illusion. In this show, curated by Zack Pospieszynski and Sonia Carty, the illusion lies in each of the artists' exploration of their individual materials and processes. By interweaving the works of these three artists, this exhibition asks the viewer to reflect on the validity of art historical traditions and to explore the boundaries of their own vision and expectations.
	Kathryn Dain’s works explore the points of balance between opposites. Making idiosyncratic media choices, she works with masses of ordinary, everyday objects in order to engage the viewer through the familiar while simultaneously suggesting a new and unexpected context. In the exhibited works, Dain investigates the point of equilibrium at which two contrasting materials – crumpled paper and metal - can co-exist. Using a photocopier as a camera, Dain captures the image of the paper and then heat-transfers it onto a metal ground. The technology of a photocopy is used to express something other its literal meaning resulting in a series of glowing, soft focused images. Kathryn Dain Photocopy on metal Comprised of 5 peices 15 x 15 cm each 2003
	Also using a unique artistic process to probe the functionality of everyday objects, Lyn Carter's works consist of a series of wall-mounted sculptures that are made from a variety of patterned cloths. Taken from her series entitled "Cheat", these abstract forms appear deceptively solid or haphazardly shaped by gravity on a stretch material. Notably however, the forms are carefully calculated so that the effects of tension are mimicked rather than real. By using patterned fabric to create abstract forms, Carter is leading the viewer to draw out larger, more emblematic readings from designs that were originally intended as neutral, decorative backdrops to daily life.	Lyn Carter fabric & found objects 57” x 8.5” x 5.75" 2003
Melissa Day Early Flemish Painting 2004 digital pigment on canvas, 95" x 60"	Taken from her series Untitled (Flemish Paintings), the works of Melissa Day reflect a highly researched process in which the artist investigates “lost secrets and recipes” of the Flemish system of painting such as the preparation of the oak panel with numerous layers of rabbit skin glue and gesso. Paying homage to the strange alchemy of the medium as well as its fabled invention, these conceptual works posit ‘Painting’ without having painted at all. These photographic images therefore confront the viewer with a highly referential image as well as a refreshingly contemporary version of an old tradition.

Roam Contemporary is a mobile gallery that exhibits national and international artists in unique domestic settings around New York. Moving away from the impersonal white box method of display, Roam aims to create an intimate and interactive environment that, through visual experience, merges contemporary art with contemporary life. In partnership with Toronto based Peak Gallery, it offers a unique way in which to experience cutting-edge art in all its forms. PEAK GALLERY AND ROAM CONTEMPORARY 9 Saint Mark’s Place #1, New York, NY 10003 t: 917-655-4676