© John Copeland

Window Pains, 2004,
65 x 141", mixed media


John Copeland
moonshiner



31Grand is proud to present John Copeland's solo exhibition "moonshiner", taking its title from Bob Dylan's version of the plaintive folk song of the same name. Using alcohol and bottles as the central metaphor, Copeland uses a variety of mediums from painting, sculpture to drawing building an installation exploring the tension between proximity and loneliness. His depictions of windows, bottles, winter trees without leaves, discarded objects, still lives of neighborhood fragments, and figures sleeping in public places show the vulnerability and beauty of what he sees in his environment and in himself.


Along with the exhibition will be the release of the limited edition catalog, "moonshiner", a collection from Copeland's illustrated journals. His drawn narrative continues his documentation of observations, emotions and encounters of daily life. As Margaret Clinton writes in the forward:


"The surface of a painting can be as misleading as the surface of a tree. What you see in front of you seems resolute; but look closer, search the crevices, peel away a layer and you will start to uncover a chronicle of seasons. John Copeland's journals record passages that begin outside and continue within. Each book bares its own title, but taken together, the multiple volumes constitute the main source of his paintings, prints, and installations. Part diary, part survey, and part something else, each page maps a voyage through physical and psychological terrains."


Exhibition: September 10 - October 10, 2004
Gallery hours: Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon 1 - 7 pm or by appointment


31Grand
31 Grand St. (Williamsburg)
USA-Brooklyn, NY 11211
Telephone 00718 388 2858
Email gallery31grand@earthlink.net

www.31grand.com