September 1-27, 2012
Ever Gold Gallery
441 O'Farrell Street,
San Francisco, California
Press:
SFAQ / Art Business / Beautiful Decay
Ever Gold Gallery presents Get the Flu, a new body of work by Mark Benson. In his first solo exhibition at the gallery, Benson explores avenues of comfort and relief. Looking to visualize the natural desire to be comfortable, safe, and healthy, Benson examines a selection of everyday appliances and their significance in our culture. The objects and imagery used in Get the Flu reference the ways in which we aspire to control elements of our lives, from atmospheric surroundings to personal health. Control is a continuing concern in Benson’s work and is activated here by asking viewers to engage objects such as space heaters, air conditioners, and the flu vaccine.
For the night of the opening reception, a nurse was on-site administering flu shots.*
Each shot comes with corresponding certificate of authenticity signed by the artist.
*Shot is an actual seasonal flu vaccine that was administered by a registered nurse. The seasonal flu vaccine protects against three influenza viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming season. Three kinds of influenza viruses commonly circulate among people today: influenza B viruses, influenza A (H1N1) viruses, and influenza A (H3N2) viruses. Each year, one flu virus of each kind is used to produce seasonal influenza vaccine.
All works 2012
