Glued, punctured, protruding and sewn artworks in Chart Gallery’s summer group show ‘Facture Fracture’ focus on the active hand of the artist. Sam Branden’s contributions – combinations of hand-sewn canvas, textiles and mesh spandex – immediately grab the attention for their bold, fiery colors and improvisational feeling. Recalling materials close to the body, a la Anthony Olubunmi Akinbola’s durag fiber works, and recent pieces by Erin Mack that allow inspection of the support frames beneath fabric ‘paintings,’ Branden’s constructions balance substance with weightlessness, the grid with an unmoored and changeable surface. (On view through Aug 24th).
