STATEMENT
Distance totalizes. It corrects. It distorts. It clarifies. It obfuscates. Distance is the space in which irony and absurdity occur within culture. It is the totalizing nature of distance that causes cultural phenomena such as racism, sexism, classism to materialize. Representations found in images and in language have the ability to abstract and compress fully formed, multi dimensional groups of people into pictures and texts, and it is these abstractions of representation that go on to inform the perceptions of individuals who consume these representations.
I am particularly interested in how desire, identity and memory are mediated through language and image. There is an inherent instability and, ultimately, failure of such modes of mediation that my work investigates by questioning the ways in which we are effectively consuming images and materials intended to represent a past reality when we “consume history.” These instances of instability arise out of the distance between reality and the images and language which we use to convey reality and occur at such a frequency that they have entered the realm of the quotidian. They are accepted and normalized within the experience of culture. I find this situation problematic since images and language, which can never fully represent reality, are used to inform and influence real actions.
My work is a series of interventions that highlight and question the ways in which ideologies of history and of capitalism are consumed by individuals. I am interested in humanizing the role of the consumer within these systems.
CV
1983 Born in Anchorage, Alaska.
Lives and works in Atlanta, Georgia.
EDUCATION
2006 BA Anthropology (Archaeological Studies) | Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2012 1961 | {Poem88}, Atlanta, Georgia
2010 BOOLESH1T | Mint Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia (link)
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2013
Consuming Passions (cur. Amanda Parmer) | Hagedorn Foundation Gallery, Atlanta, GA
BLOW-UP | {Poem88}, Atlanta, GA
ART PAPERS 14th Annual Art Auction | Mason Murer Fine Art, Atlanta, GA
(in)complete | {TEMP}, New York City, New York
2012
Fountain Art Fair | Art Basel, Miami, FL
Made in Woodstock VI | The Center for Photography at Woodstock, Woodstock, NY
Shared Southern Stories | Emily Amy Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia
Living Walls (Street Art Conference) | Atlanta, Georgia
Still Figuring It Out | RAC, New York City, New York
Untitled | Mint Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia
50/50 | ABV Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia
Linearity | Mint Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia
Outside the Frame | Atlanta Photography Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia
Embrace: AALAC Art Auction | Kai Lin Art, Atlanta, Georgia
Breathing Room | School of Visual Arts, New York City, New York
Under the Influence | Kianga Ellis Projects, New York City, New York
As The City Sleeps | Mint Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia
The Future is Behind Us | Atlanta Preservation Center, Atlanta, Georgia
ART PAPERS 13th Annual Art Auction | Mason Murer Fine Art, Atlanta, Georgia
LaGrange National XXVII Biennial | Lamar Dodd Art Center/LaGrange Art Museum, LaGrange, Georgia
The Goods | Spruill Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia
100,000 Cubicle Hours | Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, Atlanta, Georgia
2011
I Am the Judge, I Am the Jury | Kianga Ellis Projects, New York City, New York
Postcard Pin Up Show | Mint Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia
*Ground Floor | Dashboard Co-op, Atlanta, Georgia
A Decade of Photography in the Aftermath of 9/11 (cur. Ruben Natal-San Miguel) | Greenwich House Music School, New York, New York
Kianga Ellis Projects | Santa Fe, New Mexico
Exquisite: An Experimental Group Show | Mint Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia
Irrational Exuberance: A Recession Art Show | The Invisible Dog Gallery, New York City, New York
Embrace: AALAC Art Auction | Kai Lin Art, Atlanta, Georgia
Streetela Launch Exhibition | Studio 900, Atlanta, Georgia
Esoteric Lore: Visual Storytelling | Auburn Avenue Research Library, Atlanta, Georgia
Double Vision | Beep Beep Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia
2010
FORM: Artistic Independence Book Release | Mint Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia
Postcard Pin Up Show | Mint Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia
Adjustments | Atlanta Celebrates Photography, Aurora Coffee (Beep Beep Gallery), Atlanta, Georgia
Still Dope | Studio 900, Atlanta, Georgia
Super Pop! | Wm Turner Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia
Mint Gallery Benefit Auction | WonderRoot, Atlanta, Georgia
Living Walls Benefit Auction | Mint Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia
We Are Going to Eat You, Too | Mint Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia
The Wonderful World Of... | Aurora Coffee (Beep Beep Gallery), Atlanta, Georgia
Cycle Through | Young Blood Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia
The Femme Fatale Show | WonderRoot Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia
Not You: Self Portrait Show | Mint Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia
2009
Postcard Pin Up Show | Mint Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia
AWARDS, FELLOWSHIPS, RESIDENCIES
2013 Artist-in-Residence/Fellow | Southern Constellations Fellowship at Elsewhere, Greensboro, NC
2013 Artist-in-Residence | Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT
2012 Studio Artist Program | Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, Atlanta, Georgia
2011 Artist-in-Residence | Center for Photography at Woodstock, Woodstock, New York
ARTIST TALKS, LECTURES, PANELS
2012 Artist | Artist talk, 1961 | {Poem88}
2012 Guest speaker | Decatur Book Festival
2012 Guest speaker | Georgia State University, hosted by Faces of Feminism
2012 Guest lecturer, Intro to Photography | Georgia State University, hosted by Jill Frank (professor)
2012 Artist | The Future is Behind Us, artist talk | Atlanta Preservation Center
2012 Panelist | On Ambition, panel discussion | Atlanta Contemporary Art Center
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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"The year in review: Our critics’ picks for most memorable Atlanta art exhibits of 2012." ArtsATL. January 4, 2013 (link).
"Artist to Watch: Nikita Gale." Atlanta Magazine November/December (Best of Atlanta Issue) 2012. Print.
Black Contemporary Art Blog. ART PAPERS November/December 2012. Print.
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Williams, Wyatt. "Conceptual artist Nikita Gale explores the language of advertising, one photograph at a time." Creative Loafing Atlanta: Arts Issue. October 20, 2011 (link).
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Williams, Wyatt. "Nikita Gale talks BOOLESH1T." Creative Loafing Atlanta. November 6, 2010 (link).
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Brady, Dominick. "Analogue Atlanta: A conversation with Nikita Gale." Interview. Analogue Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia. March 31, 2010 (link).
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