November 11, 2019

by Nikki Kingery

The Art Academy of Cincinnati is presenting a collection of works exploring sloppiness and how it provides a kind of cultural resistance.

Curated by Loraine Wible, an assistant professor at the Art Academy, "The Sloppy Show" includes the works of seven local and national artists who work in a wide range of media, including installation, video, performance and sculpture.

A release describes the exhibition this way:

Sloppy works usually imply imprecision, dirtiness, even possibly a lack of care. What if instead it was seen as a resistance to the expectations of our Western patriarchal capitalism that has fed its value system with ideas of excellence, rigor, order and exactitude?

These ideals unfortunately sometimes reduce the complexities of truths by smoothing the lines and flattening the shapes in order to demonstrate, almost mathematically, the certitudes to which this system clings. "The Sloppy Show" focuses instead on ideals of blurred edges, wonky structures, slightly off-balance compositions, or contradictory statements, inviting the visitor to reflect on the truths that imprecision can reveal.

The artists include:

Sara Corley-Martinez

Katie Hubbell

Steve Kemple

Noel Maghathe

Cecilia Padilla

Chris Reeves

Chloé Rossetti.

The exhibition runs through Dec. 6 at the Pearlman Gallery, 1212 Jackson St. in Over-the-Rhine. Gallery hours are 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free.

The Art Academy of Cincinnati, established in 1869, is an independent college of art and design. The school is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the Greater Cincinnati Collegiate Connection. The Art Academy’s Community Education department offers extensive visual arts courses to children, teens and adults, including a Portfolio Preparation program.

For information, click here.