Sean Noyce and Katya Usvitsky present Knock on Wood, an interdisciplinary show that explores the objects and symbols that influence our behavior in a visceral way. While Knock on Wood is relevant to most Americans, persons from the former Soviet Union will find a particular resonance with many of the works. Katya Usvitsky and Lena Wolek carry over many of the traditions from their Soviet upbringing, while Ilona Berger and Elizabeth Preger infuse their sensibilities as second-generation Russian-Americans, responding to the stories from the old country. Others touch on superstitions that remain more personal, like Sydney Croskery’s artifacts collected in a computer database that serve as personal hieroglyphs, or Rachel Kaster’s behemoth charm that references memories from a previous existence.  Superstitious objects can give the disciple an extra boost of confidence or exacerbate their worst obsessive tendencies. Because the rituals produced can quell our worst fears without confronting them directly, folk pedagogy has persisted alongside the rise of secularism. By redirecting blame upon fate, superstitions provide some semblance of control in a chaotic world.

Opening Reception:  Saturday, October 5, 2019 at 4 p.m.

Artist Talk:  Sunday, October 20, 2019. 

Exhibit Hours: Friday - Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Free Admission.   

For more information, please visit http://noyskyprojects.com/knock-on-wood/

This exhibition is presented with the support of the City of West Hollywood's Arts Division.