Tales of two-wheeler icons talk in artworks

     (NWPR) – “Rosson Crow: Myth of the American Motorcycle” opens Saturday, November 6 at the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) in Cincinnati, is an exhibition pairing all new work from painter Rosson Crow with customized American motorcycles. “We are bringing Rosson’s art and the art of motorcycles together. The remarkable combination offers an immersive experience for audiences and provides context in which to view the artist’s massive paintings,” said Raphaela Platow of CAC.  The show will close on April 3, 2011.

     Crow, often described as bold, irreverent and rebellious, but also girly, charming and fearless, the 27 year-old in recent years, has crossed over from the art world to the club circuit, where she has taken her super-sized paintings to male-dominated spaces, from strip clubs, hunting lodges, oil rigs, and butcher shops.

     In this show, the artist takes on the world of biker bars and addresses this masculine arena in her own way: a very personalized style takes direct aim at its subjects, creating rich and layered scenes infused with theatrical expression and raw emotion. The elements within her compositions are often distorted, obscured and disorienting, but the finished art is an evocative funhouse effect of floating neon and dark recesses.

     As Crow’s paintings tell a story, so do the customized motorcycles displayed with her work. Individually they are not only built for performance, but also they tell the tales of the relationship between rider and machine, which reveal their equal parts of muscle and glamour.

     There will be an opening party at 8:00 pm on Friday, November 5, which is free and open to the public. In addition, and free with CAC admission, on Saturday, November 6 at 2:00 pm, during Artist Talk, Rosson Crow will be on hand to discuss her art.

     For more information, contact the show’s curator, Justine Ludwig at 513.345.8400 or see: www.contemporaryartscenter.org.