The Linfield Gallery located in the Miller Fine Arts Center is showing a two-person exhibition that explores ideas of duality, structure and the unknown. The exhibit, titled “Out of Language,” features artworks by contemporary artists Josh Smith and Jenene Nagy.

Smith and Nagy have worked in close proximity for three years. This is their first gallery show together.

According to the Linfield Gallery Web page, Josh Smith was born in Dayton, Ohio in 1975 and  moved to Oregon to study at the Oregon College of Art and Craft. He has shown works locally and internationally in solo and group efforts since 2005. His art has been featured in Portland, Texas and India. He currently lives in Atlanta, Ga.

Smith uses a wide range of material in his art, creating works that speak about a desire for understanding beyond the self, social structures and organizations. His inspirations include modernism, architecture and situationalist philosophies.

Nagy received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Arizona in 1998 and her Master of Fine Arts from the University of Oregon in 2004. Her work has been shown in Portland, Berlin and New York. She was a finalist for the Contemporary Northwest Art Awards. She works in Portland and Atlanta.

Nagy works with graphite on paper. The pieces featured in “Out of Language,” are a part of her series entitled “Measure.” These works were created during a period in Nagy’s life when she lived in Los Angeles and are inspired by the paintings of another artist, Peter Halley. Nagy’s pieces require participation by the viewer to fully understand the composition. The light, perception and even the physical distance of the viewer affect the experience.

According to the Linfield Gallery Web page, Smith and Nagy co-curated the Tilt Gallery and Project Space in Portland from 2006 to 2008. They continue to co-direct the independent arts initiative TILT Export.

The artists’ reception was held Sept. 3 and the exhibit will continue until Oct. 1. The Linfield Gallery’s exhibitions are free and open to the public. The gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturday from noon to 5 p.m.

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Sharon Gollery/Culture editor
Sharon Gollery can be reached at [email protected].