11/10/2014 Review: Second Stories—Artists Making Do & Fixing Up/Zolla Lieberman Gallery | Newcity Art

http://art.newcity.com/2009/06/22/review-second-stories%E2%80%94artists-making-do-fixing-upzolla-lieberman-gallery/ 1/2

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Review: Second Stories—Artists Making Do & Fixing Up/Zolla Lieberman Gallery

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Disaster, whether natural or human‐made, is at the heart of the large groupexhibition “Second Stories.” Curators Brian Gillham and Rachel Kalom bringtogether artists working in a variety of media that generally reflect America’snewfound frugality, hence oil on canvas takes a backseat to work made frommaterials such as cardboard, packing tape and found objects. Taking satiricalaim at luxuries and commodities (including art), Vijay Paniker’s ceramicsupdate wine and cheese parties for the current recession: a tube of easycheese and a box of wine. We’re not giving up these luxuries; we’re just givingup good taste. Deb Sokolow’s work panders to fear‐mongering. Her “CIA FailedAssassination Attempt #3” recounts one of the CIA’s unsuccessful attempts atassassinating Fidel Castro by paying $150,000 to an agent of the Mob to arrangethe hit. She humorously concludes, “The CIA should’ve gotten their money back on this one.” Sokolow combines obvious cover‐ups, effacing andslightly menacing dark shapes to convey both what we don’t know and the little we do about what the CIA exactly does or has done. Though some ofthe work on view in “Second Stories” is passable, the art brought together reflects our current uncertainty, but as Paniker indicates, we’re notreally that worried. (Abraham Ritchie)

Through August 20 at Zolla/Lieberman Gallery, 325 W. Huron

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11/10/2014 Review: Second Stories—Artists Making Do & Fixing Up/Zolla Lieberman Gallery | Newcity Art

http://art.newcity.com/2009/06/22/review-second-stories%E2%80%94artists-making-do-fixing-upzolla-lieberman-gallery/ 2/2