Dennis Koch: TIME/LIFE

November 23 - December 28,2019

"Primarily known for his large-scale colored pencil drawings, TIME/LIFE shifts focus to Koch’s ongoing series of Cutouts. The body of work is comprised from dozens of vintage Life magazines, published in the 1960s and early 70s, whose covers have been meticulously excavated by hand to unveil images below. The resulting objects feature unforeseen correlations between the original cover stories and the culture-influencing contents within, ranging from the light and humorous to the ominous and critical. Through this exercise, Koch draws parallels between the contemporary cultural climate and the equally turbulent events of the 60s and 70s to complicate the idea of a linear advancement of time. The Life magazines used to create the work in TIME/LIFE range from the years 1963-1972, a period following a revamp of the publication to compete with television’s increasing dominance. Printed in full color and known for its exceptional photojournalism, the then-weekly magazine covered a wide Apollo program to the Vietnam War and Elizabeth Taylor. Koch hones in on this plethora of source material to create a range of juxtapositions. In one work, a cascade of televisions disrupts Henri Huet’s famous photograph of army medic Thomas Cole in the trenches of Vietnam. On another, the large mascaraed eyes of a beauty model pierce through a cover depicting Lee Harvey Oswald posing with rifle in hand. Each composition remains open ended, inviting viewers to draw their own meta-narratives from the images and text provided."

Opening: November 23, 2019 | 5-8 pm

Galleri Urbane Dallas 2277 Monitor St.
Dallas, TX 75206
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