Robin Assner and Sarah Nitschke - Dismantling Evil January 22, 2011

Robin Assner and Sarah Nitschke

Opening Reception Friday, January 21, 6-10m

Good Citizen Gallery
January 21_- February 26, 2011

Dismantling Evil is an exhibition of a new body of work by artists Robin Assner and Sarah Nitschke. The roots of this work stem from a long-term, multi-disciplinary, series based project titled Acts of Hope and Futility - the collaborators have been working on this series since 2004.

The body of work in Dismantling Evil is an examination of evil from a humanistic perspective. In particular Assner and Nitschke are interested in evil as an intrinsic part of the human psyche and experience; how it is often normally good natured, average people who commit evil. This work challenges each individual to examine their own views and personal responsibility - as complicit bystanders and accessories after the fact - to the rampant global ills that continue to haunt us. Through extensive research and study, the artists have created work which begin to dismantle the complexities of western ideas about evil, challenging conventional perceptions, notions, and assumptions of what is, and who is, evil. In doing so, Assner and Nitschke hope to break down the highly evocative subject of evil; deflating its power and revealing small actions that can begin to disrupt its perpetuation, on both an individual and a community level.

The presence of "evil" is found within all levels of the Western human consciousness. It has infiltrated all forms of mass media communications and feeds an incessant cultural fascination and attention to all of the "evil" in the world. A small fraction of examples representing this bombardment can be seen in the following; the American term "axis of evil" and the constant threat of terrorist attacks; newscasts and multitudes of true crime programming on cable and television networks portraying "evil" individuals killing their spouses; and 24/7 access via the internet to plentiful and highly disturbing examples of evil-videos, photos, court testimonies, etc. The idea of evil is not just sitting on the back burner in our minds. We are constantly being confronted with the idea, the thing, the descriptor, and the act. As a countermeasure to such constant unconscious psychological infiltration, Assner and Nitschke do not get caught up in the heightened emotional intensity of the topic, but deliberately dismantle the concept and the roots of evil. Not condoning evil acts is essential, while simultaneously illuminating "evils'" core underpinnings as manageable, controllable facets of the human experience.

Ro~Sa
Ro~Sa, founded in 2004 is a collaboration between artists Robin Assner (St. Louis, MO) and Sarah Nitschke (Milwaukee, WI). Meeting at an artist residency, Assner and Nitschke recognized in each other a deep, shared interest in exploring ideas about the nature of human experience. The collaboration enables a unique formation of ideas to coalesce into art that addresses issues of the power of ideas, objects and rituals, the body, women's role in society, and the human quest for happiness. Ro~Sa has had numerous exhibitions, the most recent at the Duluth Art Institute in Duluth, Minnesota and at Roger Williams University in Providence, Rhode Island.
Regular Gallery Hours Fridays and Saturdays Noon - 5pm