Mail-Order Art

The image of the heroic artist toiling in solitude to create something beautiful and meaningful is an old one, but not entirely accurate. The Old Masters had a backroom staff to help speed up the process of masterpiece construction, and many modern artists continue to use assistants and apprentices to create their art. It’s not quite collaboration, but not quite individual work either. Hand to Hand, the new exhibit at the phd gallery (2300 Cherokee Street; 314-664-6644 or www.phdstl.com), features work that was created by individuals in collaboration. Californian Rebecca Trawick and Pittsburgh-based David Wallace created the 40 collages that adorn phd’s walls together, but the two have never met in person. Instead, one would start a piece, then mail the unfinished work to the other artist, who would add to the transitional piece before returning it to the original artist; the mailing and re-mailing continued until both artists were satisfied the work was done. In this manner, the two created a series that represents a new artistic vision that is not quite Trawick and not quite Wallace, but an intersection of the two artists’ styles. And at 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 13, the two meet face-to-face for the first time at the free, public reception for their shared show. Hand to Hand remains on display until Saturday, December 1; phd is open Thursday through Sunday.
Thursdays-Saturdays. Starts: Oct. 13. Continues through Dec. 1, 2007