A Porto Vista Hotel Kitschmas Special by Artist Duo Brian & Ryan
Brian and Ryan | A Porto Vista Hotel Kitschmas Special
December 1, 2018 - January 6, 2019
Artist Reception: Thursday, December 6, 6PM - 8PM
Porto Vista Hotel Lobby , 1835 Columbia Street, Little Italy
In collaboration with the Porto Vista Hotel, 1805 Gallery is pleased to present A Porto Vista Hotel Kitschmas Special by the collaborative art duo Brian and Ryan. Brian and Ryan will construct an installation that celebrates Christmas designs from mid-century to present. The installation explores the season’s unabashed twinkling lights, impulse shopping, glittering excesses and holiday television specials.
The work will be on view in the Lobby of the Porto Vista Hotel from December 1, 2018 through January 6, 2019. An artist reception will be held on Thursday, December 6, 2018 from 6PM to 8PM. Guests are invited to enjoy live music, cookie decorating, and refreshments provided by the GlassDoor restaurant. This event is free and open to the public.
The installation explores the season’s unabashed twinkling lights, impulse shopping, glittering excesses, holiday television specials, and most importantly, the endless interpretations of countless artists, filmmakers and designers trying to capture the Christmas Spirit for the shopping public.
Artists Brian Black and Ryan Bulis describe Kitschmas as “that childhood moment of excitement when you wake up on Christmas morning and unwrap a mountain of plastic toys including that one offbeat toy from your great-great aunt. And it’s that feeling of euphoria you get as an adult years later when you once again come across that same toy from your childhood at a rummage sale.” Brian and Ryan use the power of Kitschmas to elicit an emotional response from viewers transporting them to a place of comfort, humor and familiarity.
TOY DRIVE: NEW ALTERNATIVES
In conjunction with the art reception, The Porto Vista Hotel is holding a Toy Drive through December 14th for New Alternatives, a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation that works with foster children who have suffered and been traumatized by abuse, neglect, and abandonment. Bring Joy with a Toy! Don't worry about wrapping, unwrapped gifts are preferred.
About the Artists
Brian Black and Ryan Bulis have been working collaboratively in Southern California since 2004. This artist team appropriates iconic activities and challenges preconceptions of masculinity, athleticism and identity. By adjusting the familiar and pushing the level of absurdity in their art making, they invite the audience to reconsider the sanctity and boundaries of the art institution.