NADA Miami 2020

Ulterior Gallery’s in-person presentation of works by George Bolster will take place at Ulterior Gallery, 172 Attorney St., New York, NY 10002.

The main piece at the gallery is a large-scale panoramic jacquard tapestry of Grand Stairs Escalante in Utah—an at-risk National Monument under Trump—measuring 10 by 27 feet and fitted floor-to-ceiling to the gallery’s north and northeast walls. Affixed to this panoramic work are smaller tapestries that capture the landscape of Allan Telescope Array in Hat Creek, California, the first radio telescope array specifically designed for the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute. In Bolster’s conception, the two distinct views signal “here” and “elsewhere,” and the installation evokes the idea of the Sublime landscape of this land formerly that of many indigenous nations, now under threat from legislation passed by the current administration. By rendering the negative image of this landscape, Bolster challenges viewers to perceive what is hidden or invisible in contemporary society and culture. Juxtaposed onto this reality “here,” the telescope landscape redirects or elevates our attention to the surreal reality “elsewhere.” As the conservation of our land continues to be compromised, his vision evokes the exploration of the skies.

Closely related to the Grand Stairs Escalante tapestry, photographic works on the south wall of the gallery—composed of panels that depict vandalized cacti from a national park in Arizona, birds facing decline or extinction, and streaks of the rainbow spectrum—represent the contemporary reality for nature conservation. The panel of the rainbow prism, represents the hope of a restoration and renewal of devastated nature.

This presentation is nestled within Bolster’s first solo exhibition at the gallery. After the fair, the installation will revert to Bolster’s solo exhibition; this presentation for NADA and the solo exhibition were carefully planned to reflect upon each other.

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