December 10, 2008 - Ever since Marcel Duchamp submitted a urinal to an art exhibition in 1917, calling it Fountain and signing it R. Mutt, silliness and sarcasm have found their way into the world of contemporary art. From the subtly devious side of surrealist painter Magritte and the biting wordsmithery of playwright Oscar Wilde to the playful juxtaposition of objects in Robert Rauschenberg’s assemblages and the ribald satire of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, humor has always been part of the game of creating and presenting modern art.

Now, humor and the handmade conjure creativity at Luke & Eloy Gallery, the latest arts venue to join Larryville’s thriving Butler St. Feeling rundown by the pre-holiday hype? There’s nothing like a little creativity and laughter to nourish the soul this gray wintry season.

Thankfully, there’s still plenty of time to catch Luke & Eloy’s latest exhibition, Laughingstock: Humor in Art & Craft. On view through Dec. 23, the exhibition explores the many ways that artists mine irony, satire, sarcasm, and even sheer silliness to address life’s more serious of subjects, such as feminism, the environment, consumerism, and war.

Blurring the boundaries between the grave and the goofy, the exhibition features work by more than 20 artists from around the U.S., who work with a range of media—from jewelry, audio and photography, to fiber, wood and video.

Named for the patron saints of painting and metalsmithing, Luke & Eloy Gallery is headed up by German-born Pittsburgh transplant, jewelry designer Brigitte Martin.

And yes, it is okay to laugh.

Read more: http://www.popcitymedia.com/popfilter/lukeloy1210.aspx

Publication: Pop City Media

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