Philadelphia, PA — Moore College of Art & Design will present artist Tristin Lowe’s Black Holes & Rabbit Holes, in The Galleries at Moore, from January 22 to March 19, with a free and public opening reception on Friday, February 4 from 5–7 pm. This mid-career retrospective will yield The Galleries’ nearly 7,000 square feet of space to a single artist for the very first time, and will feature a medley of existing works and never-before-seen projects.
Black Holes & Rabbit Holes will be inspired by the architecture of Moore College of Art & Design’s campus and defined by its structural limitations. Lowe plans to invite viewers to experience a wholly immersive invasion of his large-scale constructed forms that engage creative, mechanical, and scientific discovery, while reflecting his artistic exploration of public versus private space.
“We are thrilled to devote the entire footprint of The Galleries at Moore to this important exhibition by Tristin Lowe, which marks an exciting moment in his storied career,” said Cecelia Fitzgibbon, president of Moore College of Art & Design. “Lowe’s provocative and larger-than-life installations will provide countless entry points to creative discovery and artistic inquiry for our students and the broader art and culture community.”
Lowe’s artistic practice is rooted in multidisciplinary projects that explore the absurd and that transform mundane materials into awe-inspiring creations. His sculptural designs are influenced by the science of outer space, the surrealist movement and childhood fairytales; they bring disparate worlds together, evoke unfamiliar curiosities and invite viewers to consider their surroundings in a new light. Lowe’s installations demand imagination and ask the viewer to reconsider scale, appreciate the eccentric, and enjoy spectacle.
A centerpiece of the exhibition will be a 14-foot neon comet sculpture titled GODDESS Particle (2021), commissioned for permanent installation by the College after the exhibition ends in mid-March. While Lowe has constructed previous neon comets, GODDESS Particle is arguably his most mechanically challenging project to date, engineered specifically for outdoor display. During the run of the exhibition, the comet will be suspended from the ceiling in a 30-foot-long corridor that is flooded with natural daylight. Once the exhibition has closed, GODDESS Particle will be permanently installed above Moore’s main entrance at 1916 Race Street, suspended from the four-story-high portico and visible to the public at all times. Passersby will be surprised by the glow emanating out onto the sidewalk and visitors to Logan Square will see it as a welcoming sign for the public.
Other featured exhibition works include No Wave Goodbye, Transmutation: Into the Wind (2016), the tail end of a 2001 Volkswagen Passat B5 station wagon suspended from the ceiling; Lunacy (2010), an inflatable felted-wool replica of the moon, with all its pocks and craters, measuring 13 feet in diameter; and Dumbo and Bourbon Pillow (2001), a life-sized inflatable pink elephant made of vinyl, standing over a pillow saturated with bourbon.
“I’ve never shown work from this far back to the current moment, in the same context. It’s like a new journey with old friends,” said artist Tristin Lowe. “The varied exhibition spaces of The Galleries at Moore have allowed me to play with these works anew and to create an absurdist universe, from the surreal aspects of fairy tales and the universe around us, to a 750-pound door. Every time these pieces get pulled out, the players and their interactions shift. I’m excited to see everything come together and I hope it evokes curiosity from the viewers.”
In addition to the opening reception, The Galleries at Moore will present a series of film screenings on Wednesday evenings in February, to reflect Lowe’s artistic influences, ranging from early animation to black and white surrealism. In addition, the public is invited to a free Walk & Talk event with Lowe on Thursday, February 3 from 6–7 pm, the day before the opening reception.
Moore College of Art & Design’s gallery hours are Monday through Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm. Walk-ins are welcome and masks are required. More information can be found on Moore’s visitors page.
Please visit moore.edu/galleries for any updates or changes to exhibition-related programming due to COVID-19.
For press inquiries:
Stephanie Fanelli, Signature 57
stephanie.g.fanelli@gmail.com | 484.213.5968
Above Image: Tristin Lowe, Lunacy, 2010. Felt and PVC vinyl inflatable armature. Dimensions variable. Commissioned by the Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design.
