Borne of Necessity

Contemporary art, with its inherent contradictions, ambiguities, and market alliances, is an idiosyncratic--even problematic--lens through which to examine situations borne of economic necessity. Nevertheless, some artists do challenge their own system, choosing to proactively address economic dispossession and the larger social and political factors that contribute to adverse economic conditions. Seeking to counteract stereotypical expectations and portrayals of lower-income existence, Borne of Necessity brings together recent and newly commissioned work by Julie Ault and Martin Beck, Peggy Diggs, Anthony Hernandez, Tom Hunter, Marjetica Potrc, Michael Rakowitz, Camilo Jose Vergana, Ken Lum, Samuel Mockbee and The Rural Studio, and the artists' collective Temporary Services with Dave Whitman. Accompanying reproductions of the artists' projects are essays by curator Ron Platt, who frames the exhibition within current contemporary practice, and Carol Becker, who discusses the ways in which artists engage new strategies in politically oriented works. Also included is a CD of "Dave's Stories," a sound piece produced by Temporary Services.