Shams

Virgil Marti and Stuart Netsky

Shams

October 8th, November 6th, 1993

Opening Reception: Friday, October 8th, 6 – 8pm

 

Shams is a collaborative exhibition of tongue-in cheek works by Philadelphia artists Virgil Marti and Stuart Netsky. Consisting of thirty large throw pillows embroidered with one-line quotations culled from notorious figures of pop culture, the installation explores the relationship of art fame, fashion, and interior decoration. Lavish and excessive, the pillows pit sayings like Leona Helmsley’s “ I wouldn’t settle for a lumpy pillow, why should you?” or Mae West’s “ Too much of a good thing can be wonderful” in an elucidation of wealth and opulence. Simultaneously, the work comments upon gay culture, with two fine artists, posing as interior decorators.

“While their role-playing is a playful mirror to the artificial personae of the celebrities quoted in their project, it is also a painful reminder of the pseudo-identities that many people are forced to adopt in order to ‘fit’ into society” (Matthew Drutt of the Fabric Workshop, Philadelphia).