The two artists in this dual show deliver wildly different sets of work, in content, tone and methodology. Brooklyn-based Dan Kopp's colorful abstracts are puzzles of technique and material, layers of acrylic and urethane on fiberboard panels that seem almost like organic matter that's been sanded to reveal its mineral components. And yet, it's also imagery (when it wants to be, like the bizarre and angular creature clutching a little black device in Fucking Phone). It's obvious this work requires deep focus and skill, a solitary exertion.
Josh Bernstein's collage and photographic works are more narratively outgoing. According to Bryan Miller Gallery, Bernstein is riffing on the adventures of Spanish explorer Cabeza de Vaca on the Texas gulf coast. He includes maps of the area, cut and manipulated on Plexiglas, as well as photographs featuring himself, wearing wacky masks and helmets, taken at locations on Galveston Island. The result is a juxtaposition of past and present, a time-traveling comment on myth, conquest and alienation.
"Dan Kopp: TIMEAWAY" and "Josh Bernstein: Galveston" run through August 13, Bryan Miller Gallery, 3907 Main. 713-523-2875
