Chuck Ramirez, Piñata Series: Gregory, 2004.

Ruby City announced its fall 2017 exhibition, INCITE, featuring a dynamic selection of works from the Foundation’s extensive collection of contemporary art. The exhibition included works by Chuck Ramirez, Hills Snyder, Frances Stark, Diana Thater and Cheyney Thompson. Rivane Neuenschwander’s room sized installation Secondary Stories remained on view.

Themes of whimsy and ephemerality connect the selected artworks on exhibit in INCITE. At first glance, they give an impression of light-hearted simplicity, as brightly colored depictions of confetti balls, pom poms and piñatas attract viewers and provoke a feeling of festivity. Yet, when looked at in depth, layers of more complex themes emerge alluding to the temporary nature of these ordinary objects. The element of chaos versus order lingers as well when the viewer encounters the interactions between honeybees in a multicolored hexagonal beehive in Diana Thater’s video installation, while complimenting the indiscriminate dance of the Secondary Stories confetti. The artworks selected for this exhibition vary in process and medium and include installation art, video, collage, painting and photography.