From June 22 through July 22, 2012.
Opening reception: June 23, 2012. 7:00 p.m.
ArtCenter/South Florida presents The Afterlife with works by Alex Heria, Franklin Sinanan and Byron Keith Byrd, an exhibition that explores the concept of the afterlife in fanciful, thoughtful, and probing ways. Whether an individual believes in God, Allah, Buddha, Jesus, Zeus or a Higher Power, the afterlife is a core concept for most religions. Using different iconic religious symbols in their work, Byrd, Heria and Sinanan create a cultural mash-up that may evoke reaction from avid practitioners.
Byron Keith Byrd works in painting and mixed media. He is fascinated by life, death and the implications that religion brings to the mix. Byrd’s “Religious Trap” uses hundreds of old fashioned spring-loaded mousetraps to create a Christian cross. With the current religious and political turmoil, the piece suggests the entrapment that many Americans fall into that endanger modern society with bigotry, prejudice and inequality. Byrd has exhibited throughout the East coast of North America from Miami to Montreal. He currently splits his time between Southern California and South Florida.
Alex Heria, who works primarily in photography, presents sculptural work that blend religious iconography with jewels, glitter and gold, illustrating the age-old relationship between Catholicism and money. Heria’s “Sweet Jesus,” which was originally created as part of an installation during Art Basel Miami Beach 2010, combines his work that recontextualizes religious iconography with his new series that captures the essence of the all American favorite carnival. Heria, an alumni of the ArtCenter/South Florida and a 2007 recipient of South Florida Consortium Fellowship, has exhibited extensively in South Florida as well as internationally in Spain.
Franklin Sinanan is an observer of life, religion and rituals. His paintings draw the viewer into the push-pull of life, love-hate, violence-compassion and good-evil. Sinanan’s “A Life’s Journey Altar” combines iconic images from Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Santeria, Vodou and other religions. Sinanan is an outsider artist who likes to break the “rules” of painting. A resident artist at the ArtCenter/South Florida, he has also exhibited extensively in South Florida and throughout Ontario. Originally from Trinidad, Sinanan lives and works in Toronto and Miami.
About ArtCenter/South Florida
800 Lincoln Road
Miami Beach, FL 33139
305.674.8278
www.artcentersf.org
Be the first to comment