#zachfeuer

Mark Flood / Muted Cigarette Carton, 1983

Brad Troemel On View: Selections from the Troemel Collection

Exhibition dates: February 21 - March 28, 2015

Reception for the Artist: Saturday, February 21, 6-8 pm // Did you know I’m an emerging art collector? I am! I collect many things, but art is unique. By paying for something we love, collectors ensure the future production of more things made in the image of our purchased work, propelling artists’ careers through dynamic cycles of reflection, production, and exhibition. As the artist gains a higher profile the value of the work purchased escalates, validating the artist as well as us early adopters for having the insight to take a risk on the unforeseen talent others didn’t immediately recognize. Through hard work, innovation, and entrepreneurism everyone’s effort becomes jet fuel in the flight of culture. I present for the first time in a gallery not an exploration of my own creative pursuits, but a look inside the mind and archive of Brad Troemel: the collector.

These days when it comes to emerging art you have to know what you’re getting yourself in to. Let’s just say we’re not in Kansas anymore-or Soho for that matter! Think of me as a book smart “Samantha” and former world class folk style wrestler, but most of all think of me as an empathetic disruptor; I’m an insider who knows some of the biggest changes in the industry actually come from within. Sure, we’ve all heard of the “starving artist” and yes, we’ve all heard of the emerging “art star,” but I’m asking you to take a ride on the CTA. Not the Chicago Transit Authority-I’m talking about celebrity-turned-artists, a developing arts economy I have invested in personally and hold as the centerpiece of this display hosted by Zach Feuer Gallery.

At this point you’re probably asking, “What are CTAs all about?” That’s where I come in: The celebrity-turned-artist is an individual who has entered art making after being famous in another career field and is attempting to make it big all over again. Frustrated with the stagnancy or corruption of their native industry, the celebrity turns to art for a shot at the type of unfettered self-expression their previous industry never allowed. Their work is what I call a “super good,” a commodity concept you’ll be familiar with if you know about super foods. Most emerging art is like pasta-a food full of carbohydrates for immediate energy usage that can quickly metabolize into unwanted fat if the initial burst isn’t properly put to use. Instead, celebrity-turned-artist work is like the superfood wild rice, which has been proven to protect against prostate cancer. Simultaneously an art object, a memorabilia item, and a hyper-intimate autograph, CTA works (and super goods as a whole) are a highly potent bundle of commodities nestled within themselves, able to be extracted individually or allowed to appreciate in value simultaneously as a diversified portfolio.