Wynorrific Times is a two-person show featuring new work by Roberto Lugo and Mat Tomezsko. The exhibition is a visual exploration of the social conditions and historical through-lines that make our contemporary world both terrible and beautiful.
Lugo and Tomezsko, both raised in Philadelphia, share a sensibility that is informed by graffiti and the urban environment of the city. Lugo’s works are multicultural mash-ups, European and Asian porcelain forms reimagined as vessels of representation for those historically absent from such luxury items. His work balances the perceptions associated with porcelain and hip hop, combining seemingly incongruous cultures into a single tradition. Tomezsko similarly uses medium in a metaphorical way, incorporating found materials such as weekly coupons and asphalt into formal abstract compositions. The works appear like post-war and minimalist paintings, but contain layers of imagery and meaning that operate outside of the visual system and traditional narrative.
Though rooted in the aesthetic of their upbringing, their artwork looks forward as they infuse fresh ideas and new expression into their chosen disciplines. Lugo and Tomezsko have maintained a collaborative partnership since first exhibiting together in 2013.
Installation Shots: Images by KeneK Photography courtesy of Wexler Gallery
