“Economy Candy” Exhibit in Bushwick Gives Found Objects New Life at Harbor Gallery

Harbor Gallery in Bushwick is one of many private studios and galleries at 17-17 Troutman Street, an address that is technically in Queens. In its new exhibition entitled Economy Candy, open until February 16, the works of Maria Britton, April Childers, Justin Cooper, Jeff Degolier, Alicia Gibson, Ross Moreno and Ben Vida will be on display. Their pieces are a mixture of paintings, sculpture, and sound installations in the white-walled space of the gallery. The exhibition takes its name from a 1937 New York shop, which opened in the wake of the Great Depression; the utilitarian name does not give away the joys that existed inside, candy being only one of them.

The idea behind the entire exhibit is described as “gratification, mystery and new experience of known things.” To this end, “these artists’ off-beat use of materials, playful attitudes and humor coalesce in this serendipitous exhibition that questions materiality and experience.” The mood is embodied by April Childers’ “Santa for all Seasons (Cheeseburger Santa),” a piece that repurposes a Santa Claus ornament found at a thrift shop.

The centerpiece of the gallery is Jeff Degolier’s piece, a dual set of speakers set up to a subwoofer with a vibrating piece of lace. If for none other reason, wanderers between galleries in the 17-17 Troutman building are drawn to Harbor Gallery following the deep sound that echoes throughout the hallway of the building. Other pieces include a mesmerizing drawing by Justin Fields entitled “Detail of Fields x2” and Maria Britton’s “Pill,” a painted sculpture made of printed bed sheets.

Along with the Economy Candy exhibit, Harbor Gallery will host their featured artists for performances in January and February. In a two-part comedic performance, Justin Cooper and Russ Moreno will be in-house for two nights “that will both delight and confound their audience with a mash-up of deeply self-aware and self-effacing comedy with quasi-magical tom-trickery.” Justin Cooper and Ross Moreno will host Chuckles Plus (CP), a shockingly intimate night of magic, comedy, and performance art. CP provides a showcase of performers who appropriate the space of stand-up comedy with projects that, while undeniably humorous, don’t always deliver a punch line. The talent featured at CP draws from diverse artistic backgrounds, and each performance dislodges stand-up from its current trajectory and points it in a strange, new direction. The dates for these events are the next two Sundays:

Part 1: Vertical Horizons: The Birth of Yeti and Firebush Sunday January 19, 2014 // 5:00 pm
Part 2: Elegy in Multi-Chrome: The Death of Yeti and Firebush Sunday January 26, 2014 // 5:00 pm

Here are a few more of the pieces you can find on display at Harbor Gallery:

Stay tuned for more cool gallery openings around the city. Get in touch with the author @uptownvoice.