BLACK MONDAYS

Black Mondays
Curated by Thomas McDonell

For hundreds of years, disaster and violence have been the primary characteristics of “black” days. Specifically, the term “Black Monday” has referred to diverse catastrophes – from a 13th Century Gaelic massacre to 21st Century financial collapse. It is on “black” days that terrible things happen without warning – events so unexpectedly bad that we are dumfounded by their repercussions.

Right now, faced with multiple wars, financial meltdowns, ecological degradation, terrorism, racial conflict, and local scandal, every Monday seems like a Black Monday. Week after week, the bad news does not relent and the work of the artists featured in Black Mondays will reflect the darkness of our troubled time. But there is a Gramscian resolve in the work of these artists; the pessimism of their intellect does not break the optimism of their will. That which is sinister reveals that which is lovely and this complexity of the work, especially in concert, describes a landscape of possibility, even hope.

The exhibition will include work by John Alexander, Ashley Bickerton, Sebastian Black, Ernesto Burgos, Jake Cohen, Brooke Eberle, Griffin Frazen, Rico Gatson, Joseph Gergel, Richie Gergel, The Harlem Shakes, Judy Hudson, Scott Hug, LOLA, Haley Mellin,Tim Pierson, Nick Poe, Caroline Polachek, Aida Ruilova, Borna Sammak, Max Snow, Michael St. John, and Hunter Thompson.

Black Mondays will be open from May 11th through June 12th at Kathleen Cullen Fine Arts at 526 West 26th Street, New York, NY. There will be an opening reception on Monday, May 11th from 7 – 9pm.