Monocerous!

Mary Sprague's recent work is based on a mistake, which she then willfully compounds. Artists — you can't teach 'em nothin'. Inspired by Albrecht Dürer's famous and anatomically incorrect woodcut — he only had a written description to work from — of a rhinoceros, Sprague began drawing the creature with her own tweaks and embellishments. Her distortions hide nothing of the animal's true nature, which says something about humanity and how we perceive the world. Most of our great endeavors begin as errors, but even when something is exaggerated or patently false we can still spot the truth of it, if there's any truth to it. Mary Sprague, the exhibition, opens with a free public reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, September 10, at Duane Reed Gallery (4729 McPherson Avenue; 314-361-4100 or www.duanereedgallery.com). Sprague's work remains up through Saturday, October 16; the gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Tuesdays-Saturdays. Starts: Sept. 10. Continues through Oct. 16, 2010