October Gallery Night with Craig Mains
Celebration Folly
Friday October 3rd 5-8pm
The subject of my prints include things that have gone awry typically by natural causes or human miscalculation. Large man-made objects and proscribed spaces appear to me as attractors of natural malaise: bridges beckon rivers to swell and wash out, trailer parks are tornado magnets, golf courses want to be struck by lightning and offshore oil platforms are asking for a storm surge.

Many of the works in this exhibit pertain to a kind of celebration folly. In an attempt to create awesome splendor to mark important dates, celebrations can turn to devastation. Gender reveal parties have sent pipe bombs into grandmas, caused numerous small fires and two major forest fires, and at least 3 plane crashes. The manufacture of fireworks is dangerous and workplace slip-ups can level entire city blocks. Seeing the incredible force and beauty of these sparkling explosions creates a dissidence between horror, awe and delight.

This program is made possible in part with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant program from the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the office of the Governor and NYS Legislature, administered by the Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County.