Kyle Kogut '16 Solo Exhibition and Performance at The Stamp Gallery
The Stamp Gallery
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 15, 2017
PHILADELPHIA-BASED ARTIST KYLE KOGUT EXPLORES AMERICAN INDUSTRY AND DESPAIR THROUGH THE LENS OF OCCULT RITUAL IN FALSE MONARCHY AT THE STAMP GALLERY
Opening Reception and Performance by the Artist:
Wednesday, January 31, 6:30–8:30 pm
Free and Open to the Public
Left to right: Kyle Kogut, Untitled (Performance), 2017; Untitled (Rood), 2017; Hörgr, 2017, Images courtesy of the artist.
College Park, MD— In False Monarchy, Philadelphia-based artist Kyle Kogut uses the practices and symbols of occultism and the ubiquitous iconography of auto industry kitsch to explore the contemporary politics of American myth and despair. False Monarchy is on view at the Stamp Gallery at the University of Maryland, College Park, January 24 through March 17, 2018. An opening reception, free and open to the public, will occur on January 31, from 6:30 to 8:30pm, in the Stamp Gallery. A performance by the artist will take place during the reception, starting at 7:00pm.
This solo exhibition, curated by Raino Isto, presents a collection of new installations, objects, and two-dimensional works by Kogut, all examining the disturbing effects of America’s continued attachment to the myth of heavy industry as a miraculous source of economic growth and consumer euphoria. Kogut—the son of an auto mechanic—works in response to his own family background and upbringing, considering how narratives of the artist’s creative expression relate to labor, class, and mortality.
The work in False Monarchy includes a number of Kogut’s recent drawings, which are influenced by the visual idioms of American automotive propaganda, as well as by the precision and themes of Northern Renaissance draughtsmanship. Kogut’s work considers both the nihilistic and liberatory possibilities of repetitive, detail-oriented artistic practice, and links these processes to modes of self-creation that challenge dominant narratives of American society. At the same time, he explores a wide range of artistic influences, from Albrecht Dürer and Francisco de Goya, to Philip Guston and Jen Ray.
False Monarchy also includes an immersive sculpture and video installation that combines the extended soundscapes of drone metal with the meditative environments and symbology of the occult, inflected by Kogut’s abiding interest in the practices of chaos magick. As an environment, False Monarchy encourages critical overidentification with the metaphysical structures of American late capitalism, and reflection on the self-destructive direction of contemporary American politics.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Kyle Kogut is an artist working in drawing, sculpture, textile, film, performance, and installation. Kogut graduated with a MFA from the Mount Royal School of Art multidisciplinary program at MICA in 2016. He was born in Philadelphia, PA in 1990 and received his BFA from Tyler School of Art in 2012. His work has been included in group shows nationally including Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Washington D.C. and Baltimore. Kogut has had solo and two-person exhibitions at Gateway Gallery (Baltimore), Samuel (Chicago), and Kitchen Table Gallery (Philadelphia). His work has been published in international publications Juxtapoz Magazine and Studio Visit Magazine. Kogut has been included in shows reviewed by Hyperallergic, Bmore Art, and City Paper, Baltimore. Kogut recently moved back to Philadelphia, is teaching at Tyler School of Art, and is a member of FJORD Gallery.
More information: http://www.kylekogut.com
ABOUT THE STAMP GALLERY
Located on the first floor of the Adele H. Stamp Student Union—Center for Campus Life at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Stamp Gallery is dedicated to exhibiting contemporary art, especially the work of emerging and mid-career artists. The Stamp Gallery supports contemporary art that is challenging, academically engaging, and attuned to broad community and social issues. Through meaningful exhibitions and programming, the Gallery offers outside-of-the-classroom experiential learning opportunities. It functions as a laboratory where emerging artists and curators experiment and work through their ideas. The Gallery’s programming aims to emphasize the importance of process to contemporary artistic practice and to provide a forum for dialogue.
FREE and open to the public. Hours: Mondays–Thursdays: 10 am–8 pm; Fridays: 10 am–6 pm; Saturdays: 11am–5 pm; Sundays: Closed.
More information: thestamp.umd.edu/gallery
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Media Contact
Raino Isto, Gallery Coordinator
Stamp Gallery, University of Maryland, College Park
risto@umd.edu│301-314-8492