Faces of the Economy Reception

Images: Michael D’Antuono, American Pie; Angela Mark, The Workers March; Jamie Kelty, Pay-As-You-Wish; Sarah Young, Subprime; Alexis Duque, Comuna, Ellen Coleman Izzo, The Bloc

April 15^th, 2011 marks the opening of the Faces of the Economy exhibit at the Art for Change Gallery in New York (few days before the “new” Tax Day). The exhibit focuses on how the pressures of the national economy affect the lives of individuals locally. Through various mediums the artwork in this exhibit gives a voice to the disenfranchised and explores outsourcing of domestic jobs overseas, the lack of an adequate living wage against rising cost of living, and low job security.

New York hasn’t remained unaffected by the current economic crisis. The unemployment rate in New York continues to hover around 8.9 %. Faces of the Economy showcases some New York-based and trained artists. This group exhibit will feature work from Kiran Chandra, Elvira Clayton, Michael D’Antuono, Alexis Duque, Alejandro Guzman, Kathleena Howie-Garcia, Ijeoma D. Iheanacho, Ellen Coleman Izzo, Marilyn A. Johnson, Jamie Kelty, Jess Levey, Angela Mark, Dato Mio, Danielle Poletto, Michael Pribich, Ashok Sinha, Juana Valdes and Sarah Young.

"Waiting" by Ijeoma D. Iheanacho

(image source: Ijeoma D. Iheanacho)

Photographer Ijeoma D. Iheanacho presents her photo series, Faces of the Great Recession as part of the exhibit. Her photography serves to give a face and voice to those unemployed lumped into the unemployment percentage figures and the non-profit organizations helping those reclaim their American Dreams that may have been lost due to the recession.

“This series serves a three prong effort: to make the public see beyond the statistics, to give voice to the citizens that are not being heard by our politicians, and to provide information to others going through a similar situation by linking them to the organizations that are working to help them. I hope to make each viewer think of the people behind the headlines and tie the struggles of its citizens back to the hopes of the country. Faces of the Great Recession is a look into not only the problem, but also the solutions and courage that can stand as a reminder that the next Great Generation may be in the making and the American Dream can still be a reality for those not yet awakened from the nightmare of the Great Recession.”

Sarah Young, SubPrime #1, 2010, archival inkjet print, 30 x 40 inches, image courtesy of the artist

(image source: Sarah Young)

Fellow New York City-based artist, Sarah Young will be presenting a series of photos entitled, Subprime during the Faces of the Economy exhibit. Subprime is a set of photographs created to show the effect of the collapse of a large economic system on an individual using the body as the instrumental element to illustrate the current economic crisis.

“In Subprime, a female body is imprisoned in the stocks, teetering on miniature houses for balance. The houses are miniature versions of cookie cutter houses built during the real estate boom in the 1990s, which later brought the economy down because of the subprime mortgage crisis. I have placed the burden of an entire fallen economy onto the commoditized body. I show the body as its own constant site of the economic collapse, a victim of the same hubris that brought the market to its knees.”

Also exhibiting at Faces will be Painter Michael D’Antuono whose recent painting “The Truth” depicting President Obama as Jesus Christ was considered controversial and blasphemous. For Faces of the Economy, D’Antuono tackles government and corporate greed.

Faces of the Economy

Opening Reception: April 15, 7 – 11pm

Art for Change

1699 Lexington Avenue

between 106^th & 17^th Streets