Fred Fleisher - TRY ME

galerie OPEN is pleased to announce the second solo show of Fred Fleisher "TRY ME" in the gallery. The exhibition shows works of multi-media, provides the viewer with an invitation that at first appears safe, secure and easy to grasp. However, upon further investigation, this "invitation" reveals a world of manipulated narratives that reflect the intersection of American obsessions with those of the rest of the world.

The last show at galerie OPEN from Fred Fleisher Apocalyptic Renovations, 2008, is, at heart, a statement about the screwed-up state of the world. To be human means to live with both the light and dark sides of the psyche, and redemption—or rather continual renovation—is key to self-realization. The new work presents some components of this process, describing and analyzing attitudes, belief systems, and individuals (heroes and villains alike). The subtitle of the show "sweet to taste, but hard to swallow" symbolizes the Angel standing on the earth with one foot and the other on the water and, like St. Johannes, in the Book of Revelation, Fred Fleisher needs to eat the book in order to gain the strength to see the good. . . however, this action can be hard to absorb.

Fred Fleisher attempts to position himself at once within contemporary culture and as something of an outside observer. Casting a critical eye over the dominant paradigms of consumerism and mediocrity, he offers some possible antidotes.
His practice often involves the use of found objects that are removed from their usual context and manipulated via a range of media including painting and drawing, sculpture, photography, and video. Elements of narrative and character are filtered and manipulated to facilitate new readings of particular objects and situations, especially those that reflect the intersection of American obsessions with those of the rest of the world.