In Material Elements, Chris Esposito continues his exploration of geometric abstraction through familiar materials in wall works and sculpture. The title refers to the raw materials that are permitted to remain identifiable throughout a meticulous construction process. Collecting and preserving found materials aligns the work with Arte Povera and Dada movements, but holds fast to the material life of workaday objects. Elevating humble materials to fine art highlights the latent meaning in the objects around us and proffers a rejection of the shiny and new.
The forms in the exhibition pursue Esposito’s art historical engagement with Kazimir Malevich, reflecting current political and cultural situations only in subtle metaphorical ways. As culture has become increasingly obsessed with the image on social media etc., Esposito has stopped working with images entirely. Instead, handcrafted geometric forms produce meaning more directly, asking viewers to question what is valued and what is wasted. Works in the exhibition present an apotheosis of materials that makes us wonder; where does value originate?
