Gwen Manfrin & Tim Yankosky: Smoke and Mirrors/These are Puzzling Times

Gwen Manfrin's most recent work focuses on our society's fixation with social media and self-promotion, most specifically pertaining to the sensation of the 'selfie'. Having spent so much time viewing thousands of selfies, she now recognizes - more than ever - the importance of interacting face to face with the world, in search of the antithesis of the selfie: the unexpected, unguarded moments that are delightful, exciting, and rewarding. The title of her show, "Smoke and Mirrors", refers to a magician's illusion, which she connects to the often deceptive nature of social media.
​Tim Yankosky's work focuses on transforming vintage and found objects, mostly measuring tapes. By stripping these traditionally utilitarian objects of their original function, Yankosky lends them longevity and bestows upon them a new purpose as works of art. The new puzzle shape, evident throughout the show, is an example of Yankosky making sense of something that could be confusing or perplexing, or simply mystifying.