Prophecy

Prophecy puts into conversation collected work from Ben Macchiano and Zach Ranson, two long-time friends whose work explores overlapping themes of earth and mysticism. Both artists use dramatic lighting and saturated color to bring the viewer into a space between reality and fantasy. 

Ben leans heavily into the surreal. The mystery of the orb: a molecule, a stem cell, a human eye, a crystal ball, a full moon in a distant nebula. He revels swimming in the uncanny, where the waters of disgust and arousal slosh together. His work often finds itself taking a deep bow at the altar of high Camp. No stranger to the surreal himself, Zach’s practice is inextricably connected to place, person, and the spaces where the human and the more-than-human worlds collide. Trees stand in bare testimony. Dresses long to be filled by a human figure. Chance encounters become dark precursors to futures forming beyond the frame, suggesting a lurid world of indeterminate fate.Zach’s images maintain a sense of whimsy, pulling the viewer in just before pushing them away.  

The images nod to the history of the physical space of 137 Rivington, a building old enough to be insulated with horse hair, once home to a psychic reader.  

Prophecy is on view through November 22nd. DM or email us at info@137rivington.com