Join us in Grayhaven Motel’s Gallery Lounge for February’s Gallery Night! This month opens Recent Neon, an exhibition of new neon and sculptural works from Blake Fall-Conroy, from 4-7pm. As always, the artist will be present. Both adult beverages as well as n/a choices will be available at our office bar.

Artist Statement

Recent Neon features a collection of first experiments by the artist in neon glass bending. These playful, abstract freestanding sculptures and wall works are the result of a year of study in the new medium, and a dramatic departure from previous works.

My artmaking practice focuses on a broad range of socioeconomic themes including surveillance, consumerism, economic inequality, and the American spectacle. Investigation into technological advancement is often central to my working process and informs both the concept and the physical medium of my subsequent projects. I am interested in the ways in which our lives and values are subtly transformed, for better or worse, by the introduction of new technologies and digital interconnectivity into an increasingly stratified social fabric.

My work is conceptually based, and I usually think up a new project idea before I’ve figured out how to feasibly implement its mechanics. From there I do research, planning, and sometimes reverse engineering to bring a concept to physical form. Materially, I work within the vocabulary of the everyday—often combining common household items, fragments of salvaged machinery, and programmed electronics—to create new objects or installations that exist just outside the realm of familiarity. This object-making process also serves to distill complex ideas into simpler, tangible forms. I frequently make work that speaks from the perspective of a slightly dystopian near future.

Alongside exhibiting in formal galleries, I like to infiltrate projects into public spaces, institutions, and businesses in particular, to force participation with people who may be unaccustomed or unwilling to engage with more traditional art forms. In addition, I often employ user interaction and kinetics to further draw in the viewer. Throughout, I am seeking to highlight and comment on the inherent injustices of our late-capitalist system. I aim for my projects to have social relevance, and ultimately strive to spark public discussion on important issues, even if it is in ways I didn’t originally intend.