Martin Brief: A Brief History of Time

MARTIN BRIEF A Brief History of Time

MARTIN BRIEF A Brief History of Time March 18 - April 16, 2016

D A N E S E C O R E Y 5 1 1 W 2 2 S T NY NY 1 0 0 1 1 2 1 2. 2 2 3 .2 2 2 7 . D A NES EC OR EY . C OM

For the past several years, Martin Brief has investigated the manner in which language, thought and information relate to contemporary culture and the creation of self. Drawing from earlier conceptual art practices, information overload and data collection, he makes beautiful, spare, precisely executed works on paper.

Blending absurdity and logic, the current body of work reflects the perceived conflicts between science and religion, which are often played out in political and cultural arenas. The current series consists of twelve works, one for each chapter of Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time. Selected for its iconic status and profound impact on our understanding of the universe, Hawking’s book also provides a title that is a humorous reflection on both Brief’s name and his process. Given the time involved in creating this series (an average of 200-250 hours per work), the exhibition represents a not-so-brief period in his life.

These new works confront the continuing dialogue between religious and scientific cosmology and doctrine. Brief’s process began with an examination of the Torah, the New Testament and the Qur’an – holy texts from the world’s three dominant monotheistic religions. He then assigned colors to the words in each of the texts – those existing in all three scriptures are gold; those in two are silver; and words existing in one are bronze. Copper indicates words that appear only in the Hawking’s treatise. Each word is painstakingly handwritten on the appropriately colored “tile” of paper and collaged onto a sheet of paper forming an overall rectangular shape. The result is a mosaic in which pattern is randomly determined by the coding system.

Our Picture of the Universe, 2014, ink on paper, image: 22 x 7.625 inches

Space and Time, 2014, ink on paper, image: 22 x 9.5 inches

The Expanding Universe, 2014, ink on paper, image: 22 x 9.75 inches

The Uncertainty Principle, 2015, ink on paper, image: 22 x 4.5 inches

Elementary Particles and the Forces of Nature, 2015, ink on paper, image: 22 x 9.5 inches

Black Holes, 2015, ink on paper, image: 22 x 9.25 inches

Black Holes Ain’t So Black, 2015, ink on paper, image: 22 x 6.625 inches

The Origin and Fate of the Universe, 2015, ink on paper, image: 22 x 15 inches

The Arrow of Time, 2015, ink on paper, image: 22 x 5.25 inches

Wormholes and Time Travel, 2015, ink on paper, image: 22 x 5.5 inches

The Unification of Physics, 2015, ink on paper, image: 22 x 6.25 inches

Conclusion, 2015, ink on paper, 22 x 4.125 inches

BIOGRAPHY Born, Chicago, IL, 1966 Lives and works in St. Louis, MO

2004

Lost, Flatfile Galleries, Chicago, IL

GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2015

Master of Fine Arts, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale

Occupational Therapy, Contemporary Art Museum, St. Louis, MO

RESIDENCIES AND AWARDS

And the Word Is . . ., Gershman Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

2014

MacDowell Colony Fellowship

2014

Systematic Paradox, Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpelier, VT

2013

Howard Foundation Fellowship

2013

2010

Great Rivers Biennial, Contemporary Art Museum, St. Louis, MO (individual artist grant)

45th Annual Collectors Show, Arkansas Art Center Museum, Little Rock, AR

And the Word Is, Towson University, Towson, MD

White Columns, New York, NY

2012

2008

Critical Mass Economic Stimulus Award, St. Louis, MO (individual artist grant)

And The Word Is, 4 person exhibition, Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, Wilmington, DE

Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts, Nebraska (two month residency)

Blue, White and Red, Bruno David Gallery, St. Louis, MO

2011

Works on Paper, Danese, New York, NY

2007

Viewing Program Artist Registry, The Drawing Center, New York, NY

Multiple Propositions, Herron School of Art, Indianapolis, IN

2006

Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, France (two month residency)

2010

New Talent 2010, Gallery Joe, Philadelphia, PA

EDUCATION

SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2016 2015

A Brief History of Time, Danese/Corey, New York, NY Amazon God, Lawrence University, Appleton, WI

2014

Martin Brief, Perkinson Gallery, Millikin University, Decatur, IL

2012

Success, Isolation Room/Gallery Kit. St. Louis, MO

2010

Amazon God, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, St. Louis, MO

2009

Lost, Anderson Gallery, Bridgewater State College, Bridgewater, MA

2008

Artforum Series, Bruno David Gallery, St. Louis, MO

Exposure 13, curated by Terry Suhret. Gallery 210, St. Louis, MO

Creative Stimulus Projects, 4 person exhibition, Regional Arts Commission, St. Louis, MO

Old Media/Old News, The Luminary, St. Louis, MO

2009

Director’s Choice: Obsession, Center for Creative Studies, Detroit, MI

2008

Works on Paper, 511 Gallery, New York, NY

Spaces Between Spaces, Civilian Art Projects, Washington, DC

2007

Less Is More, 511 Gallery, New York, NY

Simple, Dumb Objects, 3 Person Exhibition, School 33 Art Center, Baltimore, MD

2007

Martin Brief, Winfisky Gallery, Salem State College, Salem, MA

2006

A—acneform, (The Dictionary Series), Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris

Simple, Dumb Objects, 3 Person Exhibition, 1708 Gallery, Richmond, VA

2006

2005

You Are Here, Main Art Gallery, Richmond, VA

Martin Brief and Anna Cox: Coffee/Press, Flatfile Galleries, Chicago, IL

Space of Change, 4 person exhibition, DC Art Center, Washington, DC

Contained Art, Galerie Sei-un-do, Zurich, Switzerland

W. Oregon University Invitational—Martin Brief & Vincent Leandro, Monmouth, OR

Glossolalia, Gallery Aferro, Newark, NJ

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

Art Institute of Chicago, Joan Flasch Artist Book Collection, Chicago, IL

O’Sullivan,Michael, “At the D.C. Arts Center, a ‘Change’ Will Do You Good,” The Washington Post, September 15, 2006 Goss, Heather, “Neither This Nor That, Liminality Can Be Tough to Grasp,” The DCist, September 18, 2006 Hayes, Peter, “Here & Now,” The Washington Post, September 24, 2006 Huschle, Claire and Boozer, Margaret, “Space of Change,” exhibition catalogue, September 2006

Newberry Library, Chicago, IL Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ Visual Studies Workshop, Rochester, NY State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, Honolulu, HI Special Collections, Washington University, St. Louis, MO Wriston Art Collection, Lawrence University, Apppleton, WI SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kendzior, Sarah, “Expensive Cities Are Killing Creativity”, Aljazeera, December 2013 McAnaly, James, “Off-Center: Or, Why I Don’t Live in New York,” Temporary Art Review, March 2012

Baran, Jessica, “Success at Isolation Room,” Riverfront Times, February 2012 Fried, Laura, “Martin Brief: Amazon God,” Gallery Guide Museum of Contemporary Art, April 2010 Cooper, Ivy, “Biennial at the Contemporary challenges, but is accessible,” St. Louis Beacon, May 2010

Baran, Jessica, “Great Rivers Biennial,” Riverfront Times, May 2010 Beall, Dickson, “Three of a Kind,” West End Word, May 2010 Cooper, Ivy, “Light and Depth at Bruno David,” St. Louis Beacon, November 2008

Howard, Christopher, “Martin Brief: Artforum Series,” Bruno David Gallery, exhibition catalog, November 2008

Gayer, John, “Space of Change,” Art Papers, January 2, 2007

Published in conjunction with the exhibition: Martin Brief: A Brief History of Time Danese/Corey, New York, NY March 18 - April 16, 2016 Catalogue © 2016 Danese/Corey Works of art © 2014-16 Martin Brief

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