Unconventional Wisdom
From Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program
August 29 - October 26, 2008
Artists: Mike Elko, Ruthann Godollei
MAEP Galleries
“Unconventional Wisdom” features the print works of Ruthann Godollei and Mike Elko. Both use text humorously against familiar backdrops. Godollei’s work is generally devoid of people, but it is always full of their stuff: kitchen tools, iPods, and clocks. Her current series sets these things against the terminology of the current military complex, bringing the irony of words like containment, surge, or extended tour into sharp focus. Using a black-and-white palette with an occasional hint of color, her images strip these words of their mediated meanings, unmasking them for what they really are. Mike Elko, on the other hand, brings witty dialogue to his brightly colored prints assembled from vintage print ads and current news media. Elko is a deadpan storyteller in the tradition of American humorists Stephen Colbert or the ’40s radio team Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding, contrasting contemporary political jargon with appropriated images of the American Dream.
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Works of Art
Mike Elko,Cautionary Tale #2 (Practical Paranoia Magazine), 2004 |
 Mike Elko, Herr Hausenfuss, 2005 |
Ruthann Godollei, Time Change 2, 2008 |
 Ruthann Godollei, Surge, 2006 |
 Ruthann Godollei, Ear Plugs, 2008 |
Related Materials
Related Events
- Opening Reception: Thursday, August 28, 7 p.m.
- Artist-led Tour: Thursday, September 25, 7 p.m.
- Critics' Trialogue: Thursday, October 2, 7 p.m. with Ann Klefstad
