David Poppie: Between Worlds

Pavel Zoubok Gallery is proud to present Between Worlds, an exhibition of new works by David Poppie, whose signature constructions of cut colored pencils and record LP covers reveal the inherent physical dynamism and pictorial range of his chosen materials. In our back gallery, a concurrent exhibition of Barton Lidicé Beneš’ (1942-2012) Cojones further explores the use of single-material accumulation in a series of dense spherical forms.

David Poppie’s vibrant, abstract compositions of hand-sanded colored pencils evoke the energy of painting while simultaneously engaging meticulous sculptural process. In the pencil construction I am Here (2016), opposing hues of green and purple radiate from a horizon line of vibrant yellows and orange. Although working within a prescribed palette, subtle hints of blue, pink, red and white emerge from beneath this densely layered composition, revealing unexpected nuances. Poppie’s continued exploration of the disposable nature of contemporary culture is evident in his series of collaged album covers that serve as a reminder of the velocity of technological obsolescence.

At the core of Poppie’s new work is the search for identity, turning from musical inspirations to literary ones. He draws from the writings of Haruki Murakami and Paul Bowles, whose protagonists in the novels 1Q84 and The Sheltering Sky, respectively, search in vain for personal identity. The radial nature of Poppie’s collages and constructions obliquely refers to the passage of time while signifying the characters’ personal journeys of self-discovery, wandering in circles and out into infinity.

David Poppie’s work has been widely exhibited and included in several prominent collections. Recent exhibitions include St John’s University, Queens, NY; Katonah Museum of Art, New York; The Daum Museum of Contemporary Art, Missouri; the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Wisconsin; and Lehman College Art Gallery. Poppie’s work has been featured in the The New York Times, Sculpture Magazine and Preview Magazine, among others. The artist lives and works in Westhampton, Massachusetts. This is his fourth solo exhibition with Pavel Zoubok Gallery.

This exhibition will be complimented by an intimate installation of Barton Lidicé Beneš’ signature series of heavily encrusted orbs, aptly titled Cojones, made from homogenous objects including pencil erasers, skewers, rope, corks, crayons and plastic toy soldiers. Beneš’ work has been exhibited nationally and internationally at The Cleveland Museum of Art, North Dakota Museum of Art, The Katonah Museum of Art, The New York Public Library, and The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art. His work is in the permanent collections of The Art Institute of Chicago, The Smithsonian, The U.S. Mint and North Dakota Museum of Art.