Utopian-Bands

Through a variety of media that includes painting, video, photography and artist books, Mark Harris, director of the School of Art at the University of Cincinnati's College of Design, Art, Architecture and Planning, explores imagery of intoxication as a form of utopian representation. Harris's work imagines intoxication functioning as an alternative to the aggressively incursive strategies of the historical avant-garde. 

Utopian-Bands and Related Works represents the culmination of work following a trip Harris took in the summer of 2006 when he traveled to Beijing to document six Chinese rock bands in an outdoor concert he co-organized with Beijing alternative music promoter Yang Licai. Harris's filming captures a glimpse of the cultural changes sweeping through China and celebrates Beijing rock bands as the return of the repressed—microcosmic utopian communities once stifled by a Chinese Communism focused on national social reorganization. The video debut of Utopian-Bands is accompanied by a series of paper cutouts and photographs informed by Harris's experiences in China. 

Mark Harris is an artist, critic, and curator living in Cincinnati, OH. His diverse approaches to making artwork include painting, installation, video, and photography. Harris's recent solo and collaborative exhibitions include Streets of London, a video installation with Peter Lloyd Lewis at 1 000 000mph, London (2003); the Trans Hudson Gallery, New York (2001); the Economist Building, London, with Carmel Buckley (1999); and Wall of Sound, with Jem Finer, at the Trans Hudson Gallery, Jersey City (1996). In addition, his work has appeared in exhibitions in London, Munich, Peterborough (Canada), New Zealand, and Vienna. He holds a doctorate in philosophy from Goldsmiths College, University of London (2005). Among his many publications are articles in Miser & Now, NY Arts, ARTicle Press, and MAKE Magazine, as well as articles and reviews in Art Monthly.

Gallery Talk Series: Tues., Feb. 5 at 7 p.m.

Families Create! Education Workshop: Sat., Feb., 16 at 10 a.m.