Palace of Illusion

curated by Lauren Davies

Closes December 20, 2019

Palace of Illusion features the perceptive photography of Stephen Tomasko and Arnold Tunstall.  Using varying approaches, both artists individually explore a shared curiosity with uniquely American traditions and practices—social constructs so thoroughly pervasive in contemporary life that the absurd is elevated and the obtuse is normalized.  Perhaps ironically, Stephen’s and Arnie’s photographs elegantly reconsider the mundane and reframe the incongruent moments of national identity.  The result—both humorous and a contemplative knock to the forehead—helps us regain our grasp on the curiosities of our traditions.

Stephen Tomasko presents highly saturated color images of regional county fairs with fantastical carnival rides, garish sideshows and 4-H livestock displays in addition to documentation of the highly ritualized behaviors of Cleveland’s most ardent sports fans.

Arnold Tunstall takes a cool approach with his quiet and elegant small-scale black and white images. His work investigates the artifice of museum dioramas and contrived store displays combined with odd moments of oblivious individuals being nearly engulfed by fabricated environments.

Palace of Illusion presents images that simultaneously feel outlandishly ironic and embarrassingly clumsy yet also offer deeply heartfelt observations of life’s awkward moments:  documentation of these moments are underscored by the shared appreciation for the absurdities that surround us.

- Lauren Davies, 2019