Kurt Treeby: Fuzzy Memories

Broken, 2007, acrylic and wool yarn rug, 63 x 105 inches

Kurt Treeby: Fuzzy Memories

Feb 3, 2008 - Apr 20, 2008

Overview

Kurt Treeby’s recent work is simultaneously a lush homage to art history and a calculated salutation to kitschy commercialized craft. His fiber works focus on iconic imagery and the relationship between high and low art forms. Fuzzy Memories explores the idea of the visual experience and the concept of widespread artistic appeal. Defined by individual interests and life experiences, each person responds to art in their own way. For some, the relevancy and artistic integrity of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel frescoes evoke intense personal meanings and religious connotations, while Jackson Pollock’s expressionistic action-paintings provide an ephemeral, defining reflection on the triumphant spirit of modern art. Still others are inspired by the capricious arrangements and lush colors of the work of Henry Matisse or the politically charged Picasso masterpiece Guernica. Treeby places himself on the edge of this cliff—between high and low art. What makes an artwork a masterpiece— high art? What relegates another work of art to kitsch—low art?

Inspired by his vigorous studies in art history, theory, and fine arts, Treeby’s artistic search for the relevancy in the distinction between high and low art, his investigations have culminated in a series of bold reinterpretations of historically renowned artworks. Beyond their own existence, these works of art transcend their physicality. Fuzzy Memories is an ultra-manufactured trip through art history, with a kitschy machined aesthetic.

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