3/20: WISCONSIN DELLS, 53965: new work by JESSICA BRUAH

2011 March 14

by theacreproject

WISCONSIN DELLS, 53965
new works by JESSICA BRUAH
March 20-21, 2011

Opening Reception: Sunday, March 20, 4-8
Open Hours: Monday, March 21, noon-4

ACRE Projects
1913 W 17th Street

WISCONSIN DELLS, 53965 is part art show, part postcard writing get-together. Jessica Bruah is looking to transform all gallery spaces into makeshift post offices and tourist gift shops- at least temporarily. Her images on the wall are presented alongside mass-produced postcards. Viewers are encouraged to mail out as many postcards as they are willing to write before leaving the show.

Bruah is drawn to esoteric tourist destinations with unique histories, especially during the quiet off-season. She is interested in the human need for escapism paired with the continuing wish to connect amidst solitude and physical separation. She started photographing the Dells region in 2008. Inspired by H. H. Bennett, the first photographer to heavily document the Dells, she explores the new and man-made parts of this destination that was once only known for it’s unique sandstone formations. Echoing Bennett’s interest in promoting the region through mass-produced imagery, the images on the walls are also shown as part of a postcard installation. While mimicking how a tourist spot depicts itself to the world, Bruah hopes to raise questions of promotion and interpretation.

JESSICA BRUAH’s first visit to Wisconsin Dells was at age 7. Her recent work revolves around the surreal and layered identities of specific tourist areas. She received her MFA from the School of Visual Arts in 2009 and her BFA from Columbia College Chicago in 2004. She has exhibited work both nationally and internationally, including shows at Jen Bekman Gallery in New York City, Catherine Edelman Gallery in Chicago, and Photo-Eye Gallery in Santa Fe. In 2010 Bruah was awarded a Swing Space artist residency through the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. She also had her first solo exhibition in 2010 at Georgia College Museum for her project Stories, which is featured on Photo-Eye’s online Photographer’s Showcase. Jessica is currently based in Brooklyn NY, but she’s open to traveling on the open road or living on a private island in the next year.

More information about Jessica Bruah can be found at www.jessicabruah.com