Jeff Bailey Gallery is pleased to present Cody Hoyt, Slow Cooker, an exhibition of new ceramic vessels.
The phrase functional object is heard often, and usually refers to things that aren’t at first glance identified by what their function is. Are Hoyt’s vessels functional objects? Yes, but simply because each has an opening and is roughly tabletop size does not mean that it is inherently meant to hold something (a flower, a plant), although it can. Rather, it is the singularity of Hoyt’s forms, their historical associations, sharp lines and angles, intricately mixed patterning, and overall presence that invite sustained contemplation.
Hoyt’s patterns bring to mind frescoes, tiled floors, mosaics, marquetry and inlay - design traditions that go back centuries. Hoyt brings his own contemporary sensibility to these designs, and creates forms from slabs that reference origami, the machine age and cubist space.
Whether it's poured in place concrete or moulded and vitrified ceramic- the slab is a symbol of stolid foundational stability in our transient and fleeting, pixelated present. It's an undeniable rigid mass. A slab can be folded upon itself to create an object and retain those attributes of tangible dependability. I feel that formal rather than conceptual complexity in the work grants it a longevity or stability that echoes this. An augmented surface further exemplifies the object-ness and engages the viewer. The experience of the object is its reason for being.
- Cody Hoyt
This is Hoyt’s first exhibition with the gallery. He received his BFA from the Massachusetts College of Art in 2007. He has had solo exhibitions in New York at Patrick Parrish Gallery, Ace Hotel and PACS Gallery; and at Andrew Rafacz Gallery, Chicago. Group exhibitions in New York include Greenpoint Terminal Gallery, and DCKT Contemporary; Nudashank Gallery, Baltimore; THIS Gallery, LA; and Aviary Gallery, Boston. Hoyt lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.
Jeff Bailey Gallery is located at 127 Warren Street, Hudson, New York, 12534. Gallery hours are Friday – Sunday, from 12-6 and by appointment. For further information or images, please contact the gallery at info@baileygallery.com or 518.828.6680.
For further information or images, please contact the gallery at 518.828.6680 or info@baileygallery.com.