Most people look for closure in the deaths around them. I seek openings. This show is about rebirth. It takes perceptions of loss and creates opportunities in both the physical and the ontological realms.

All of the materials in these pieces are resurrected from contemporary cultural debris and reassembled as continuance of ancient practices generally considered to be dead. Made from abandoned house paint, repurposed cabinet doors, dissolute and archaic ideas, randomly gathered organic matter and eventhe earth itself, this intends to be a balancing act of the elements. A reshuffle of the cards we’ve been dealt.

How do we depict and define our lives? Why do fear and hide from the prospectof our demise? How do we redefine our lives within the ongoing dialectic of global conflict and the less obvious and more insidious cold war for our souls.
These works are acts of divination in the face of an uncertain future.

Michael AbelmanPalm Sunday, 2012

Springboard is an open studio event including some of the larger studio complexes in Deep East Austin including Artpost, Bay 6 Studios, Big Medium, Pump Project, Pigoata Studios (next to Bay 6) and the Pump Project Satellite.
Springboard is a great opportunity to see art and meet artists – whether you are a first-time visitor, a returning patron, or an art-o-phile who needs their studio-viewing fix before the annual East Austin Studio Tour in November. Browse the studios, experience the huge variety of art, be inspired by the creativity of each unique space.
Springboard is a free, self-guided tour. The locations are in close proximity to one another so consider bringing your bike for easy travel! There will be a closing party with bands at The Mill (next to Artpost) from 7-10 pm.
Photos below: Shots from Pump Project studios of Jan Roset, Mark Johnson and Jai Cochran.

PRESSURE, a new large-scale installation by Brooke Gassiot, fills the Pump Project Art Complex warehouse with sculpture, light, sound, and video. In Pressure, Gassiot invites the viewer to enter into a constructed world inspired by the experience of pressure that moves a person from a point of consideration to the urgency of acting. This installation is about the creative process, and about turning ideas into form.
Gassiot is known for her use of light and form in smaller-scale sculptural light boxes. Her work is currently on display at  milk + honey spa. For more information about the artist visit www.brookegassiot.com

Ephraim Owens, called the “Best Horn” in Austin by the Austin Chronicle, and Trevor LaBonte’s jazz trio will play at the opening.