Photo: Carter Smith
Angelbert Metoyer’s artwork is heavy stuff. Walking around his “ASK: Another Sound Kingdom” installation at the Dactyl Gallery in Soho is mentally exhausting, but well worth the effort. Unlike many of his peers who package their work into pretty little pills, Metoyer’s paintings are layered with spiritual and mental residue. As your eyes span the different works, they find several keys to other mindstates in the hidden symbols and “automatic” writing scrawled across the composition. But it’s not that deep for Metoyer: “I need to sell some work so I can buy a TV.”
Metoyer, born in New Orleans on 7/7/77, is a Houston resident. This exhibit is his first show in New York since 2006′s “Masquerade of the Divine” at the Paul Rodgers 9W Gallery. That exhibit consisted of detritus the artist found on the streets of his birthplace after Hurricane Katrina tore it apart. The tone of the exhibit was grotesque; at times horrifying, at others, beautiful. Just last month, another storm shook the artist, this time Hurricane Ike which killed dozens in Houston and left Metoyer without power until just days ago. This made it a little complicated for the artist to pull together this show, and many of the works hung at Dactyl were created in the two weeks leading up to the opening date. Luckily, the artist is able to channel such energy.
The result is raw and natural; ancient in feel and palette, while shining futuristic throughout. It’s what you’d see if you were to close your eyes while listening to Sun Ra.
The exhibit is open through October 25th, take the trip.
