Press Release - "Hot Tip" by Anika Rivers
First Amendment Gallery
Hot Tip
Anika Rivers
Opening Reception - November 17th, 12-10pm
Through - December 14, 2018
info@firstamendmentgallery.com
First Amendment Gallery is pleased to present Hot Tip, a solo exhibition of sculpture and neon works from Oakland-based artist Anika Rivers. The show features an array of pieces from Rivers’ sketchbook that she has made three-dimensional to encourage interaction and experience from viewers.
Hot Tip coalesces around hope and optimism, in a time that these feelings seem to be fewer and farther between. Rivers aims to connect viewers and provide a space for them to reflect, utilizing solid concrete and neon glass to emphasize the way that texture can evoke emotion from objects. From these textures, she has created monuments to friendship, contemplation, and empathy, with each piece containing an element of shared engagement. Through sharing the work, Rivers becomes a participant as well, taking the first step and encouraging others to join.
BIO
Anika Chasuk (b.1989, Mountain View, CA) raised in Napa, she has grown to appreciate many sides of the creative adventure. She believes in community-based work, and the relationship between culture and nature. Focussing mainly on lettering structure, mingled with the use of found object, the work explores the versatile nature of neon and the many ways it has been utilized. Bouncing from the lab, to SFAI where she is currently studying film, Chasuk has recently been combining her modes of making to explore the sensory experience of combining sound design with neon sculpture. While remaining enthralled with letter structure and the traditional practice of sign making, she actively seeks new methods of making within the physical limits neon demands. Chasuk has exhibited work at Book and Job Gallery, First Amendment Gallery, and the Midway in San Francisco, and Oakland’s Good Mother Gallery. This year, Chasuk is returning to MoNA(Museum of Neon Art) exhibiting a collaborative piece with her colleague Bill Colcannon; and First Amendment Gallery for her solo show 'Hot Tip'.