Michael Rea has a new show of his incredible wood interpretations of objects from film, fiction, and pop culture opening on Friday at Chicago’s EBERSMOORE gallery. Above is an older piece, titled “Who Knew Starman Would Answer back” (wood, burlap, rope). He has also built the Ark of the Covenant, an M-16, an exoskeleton for Stephen Hawking, and an entire stage of rock and roll gear. From the gallery:
The intent of Michael Rea’s work is to create something short of its outcome, to create the idea of an object or scenario that remains a dream. The objects he creates are based on fiction, rather than realities which is stemmed from a strong interest in the ephemeral worlds established in film, or even in popular culture. Rea says, “fiction or established hearsay allow for a flawed interpretation, which leads to a flawed result.” The sublime is unattainable, and not an option. He amplifies this experience by only using my memory to construct my images. Failure is imminent, which allows him to find humor and enjoy the experience, which in turn builds humor into the worlds established by his work. Rea chooses to depict these states with unfinished wood, and other materials which convey a sense of the temporal and to the beauty in life that lies in between moments. Ultimately his work offers a sense of what could be and what could never be simultaneously.
