Michael Corris: Palette-Talk: Change the Image or the World, Well Which?

April 23 - May 21,2022

From Liliana Bloch Gallery:

"Michael Corris makes art through the encounter of word and image, the object, and the relentless stream of media reportage. His art transforms the form and content of print and online news media while paying particular attention to the dramatic images that accompany journalistic accounts of global and domestic events. The works in Palette-Talk are startling compositions of word and image that present a challenge to the viewer by posing the question, What is the difference between a meaningless pattern and a meaningful detail?

Corris thinks of this project as an antidote to the deluge of news. The constant stream of news detailing injustice, trauma, death, and disaster presents us all with a powerful and disturbing image of reality that is simultaneously informative and debilitating. Even when we are not personally involved in the events being reported, we are apt to remain captivated and repelled by such news coverage and the grievance politics and culture wars in its wake. Palette-Talk asks how it is possible for a person to remain whole under such circumstances. Given the global mediascape, what chance does a person have to summon the psychological and emotional strength necessary for a continued commitment to social engagement, political activism, and art?

Corris’ project aims to mitigate the demoralizing effect of the global mediascape through novel artistic means. This kind of compensatory approach to reality is not unknown. For example, we can view the enormous volume of social and political commentary — both good and bad — as symptomatic of an attempt to regain a sense of equilibrium. Corris, however, does not see these works as offering solace as an end in itself; they are more like rest stops on the way to a destination.

Corris’ approach is nuanced and dispassionate, as he transforms vivid images and journalistic dispatches into cryptic texts and abstract fields of color. The resulting works of art simultaneously conceal and reveal a picture of the world through the reconstruction of current events as captivating visual and verbal puzzles. By veiling content in this way, these works can function simultaneously as a refuge from the world and a reminder of why we should be interested in the world in the first place.

Don’t we all need a space within which to consider the true measure of our agency in the face of calamity? Who hasn’t wished for that self-reflective moment that permits us to consider how to tackle the social and politics issues that directly impact our lives and the lives of those we wish to defend?"

Reception: April 23, 2022 | 5-8 pm

Liliana Bloch (Memphis Street) 4741 Memphis Street
Dallas, Texas 75207
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