Bradly Brown, Cobra McVey, & Anthony Sonnenberg how2magpie

how2magpie features the work of residents participating in the tenth round of the Lawndale Artist Studio Program, Bradly Brown, Cobra McVey and Anthony Sonnenberg.

As an embrace of fetishized environments and historical modes of production Bradly Brown presents the viewer with multiple investigations and stage elements from act three of a four-act play. An entire body of work is developed for each act, and the objects exist as research and props for the production as well as art objects when put into context. The material aspects of the play are created before the narrative is written, and are a direct response to the work created during Brown’s residency at Lawndale.

Cobra McVey presents Stuff Love, a satirical fan magazine showcasing a new breed of media darling. Representing the fallout from widespread industrialization, the stars of Stuff Love are born of consumer culture, new life forms mutated from orphaned thrift store objects and mass-produced “stuff.” Inspired by popular teen idol publications like Tiger Beat, 16 and Bop, these mutant celebrities are elevated to heartthrob status with autographed pinups and suggested gossip columns. The presentation of these unexpected stars in the glossy pages of Stuff Love speaks to the modern consumer’s infatuation with material goods.

Anthony Sonnenberg constructs a site-specific and interactive installation entitled Rococo Tent Fort. His goal is to employ the same principle used when creating a quilt to building an environment, which is to merge seemingly low and disparate materials together through labor and time to create something of beauty and sumptuousness that is greater than the sum of its parts. Sonnenberg will sew, arrange and nail together found objects, fabrics and even old artworks that have been collected from across the country to create an intimate space where viewers will be able to lounge in extravagance.