Cory Oberndorfer: Flavor of the Month
January 9 – February 13, 2009
Opening reception: Friday, January 9: 6-8pm
WASHINGTON, DC – Cory Oberndorfer is selling out. Not that he had
far to go. Opening Friday,
January 9th at the Gallery at Flashpoint, Flavor of the Month is the
latest in his series of roller derby and
candy-inspired paintings. The work draws upon the aesthetics and
iconography of popular graphic design
and advertising techniques to reveal Oberndorfer's devotion to the
roller derby subculture.
Oberndorfer transforms roller derby skaters into icons to convey
both idolization and a sense of
product identity. In a palette of bright colors, the artist draws
inspiration from three of his favorite
things, "sweets, pop culture and bad-ass women, although not
necessarily in that order." This
combination brings a playful sense of innocence to athletes who play
an aggressive, full-contact sport.
Acknowledging the nostalgic return of the all-female sport,
Oberndorfer utilizes visuals that remain
timeless, like old-fashioned candies, or those that have been re-
contextualized by a new generation, such
as half-tone values, sunburst patterns seen in propaganda posters
and retro color palettes.
While Oberndorfer plays up the stylization of marketing clichιs
designed for mass production, his
canvas works are by contrast meticulously hand-painted and his
prints are released in small editions. The
Flashpoint exhibition will include paintings and prints as well as a
mural on the gallery wall, inspired by
the narrow shape of the gallery. The artist's work intentionally
defies size restrictions. He admits that,
"Sometimes it just needs to be bigger. An indoor billboard is hard
to ignore."
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Cory Oberndorfer was born in Kansas City and raised with a nomadic
lifestyle travelling across the
United States. As a professional student, he studied graphic design,
filmmaking and theatrical design
before graduating with a BFA in studio art from Weber State
University in Ogden, UT. American
University brought him to Washington, DC where he completed his MFA
in studio art and received a
Mellon grant for his research of the roller derby subculture. Cory
has exhibited throughout the DC area
with inclusion in the WPA's Options Biennial in 2007; juried
exhibits at McLean Projects for the Arts;
Novelty, a 2700-square-foot two-story mural installation at the
Katzen Arts Center and most recently
Just a Taste, a solo exhibition at G Fine Art. Cory can often be
found at regional roller derby bouts and
ice cream parlors. For more information visit:
www.coryoberndorfer.com.
ABOUT THE GALLERY AT FLASHPOINT PROGRAM
The Gallery at Flashpoint is dedicated to nurturing artists,
expanding their visibility and encouraging
dialogue between artists and arts patrons. As a nonprofit gallery,
Flashpoint provides a special
opportunity for artists and curators to present new media, site-
specific installations, performance pieces
and other experimental forms free from the constraints of commercial
expectations. An advisory panel
of noted artists and arts professionals oversees the programming for
the gallery and provides
mentorship and support to exhibiting artists. The Gallery at
Flashpoint, a Cultural Development
Corporation project, is sponsored by Michael Abrams, the Abrams
Family Foundation, the DC
Commission on the Arts & Humanities and Tim Hyde. Additional support
is provided by the Morris &
Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, The Community Foundation for the
National Capital Region, the
MARPAT Foundation, the Eugene & Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, the
National Endowment for the Arts,
Prince Charitable Trusts, the Summit Fund and many other sponsors.
Hotel Helix is Flashpoint's 2008-
2009 Hotel Partner. Barefoot Wine is Flashpoint's 2008-2009 Wine
Partner.
ABOUT FLASHPOINT
Flashpoint, a Cultural Development Corporation project, is a non-
profit, multi-disciplinary arts space
dedicated to nurturing emerging artists and cultural organizations
in order to build their professional
capacity. Flashpoint provides services and training for cultural
organizations to help strengthen their
management capacity and offers exhibit and performance spaces that
enable arts groups to focus on
their artistic goals and expand their visibility. Flashpoint
includes a contemporary art gallery, the 75-seat
Mead Theatre Lab, the Coors Dance Studio and shared office space for
arts organizations.
Cory Oberndorfer: Flavor of the Month
Opening Reception: Friday, January 9: 6-8pm
Exhibition: January 9 – February 13, 2009
Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 12-6 pm or by appointment
For more information: Call 202.315.1310 or visit flashpointdc.org
Gallery at Flashpoint • 916 G Street, NW • Washington, DC 20001
A CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION PROJECT
General: 202.315.1305 Press: 202.315.1312 Fax: 202.315.1303