Civilian Art Projects presents Pop Deco, new works on canvas and paper by Baltimore artist, Cara Ober. In her second solo exhibition at the gallery, Ober continues to experiment with visual mash-ups, creating decorative images from vintage wallpaper, textiles, ancient artifacts, and home decor. According to Ober, "Regardless of taste or budget, the decorative impulse, the desire to enhance your physical appearance and that of your home, is universal. It connects us intimately to our distant ancestors. However, the contemporary practice of sampling has enabled an entire generation of artists to borrow freely across cultures and time periods, creating unique hybrids in a range from harmonious to jarring." In her newest body of work, the artist focuses exclusively on the patterns she has collected for many years in order to investigate their power. Rendered in a simple palette of black, white, and metallic paint, these ornamental embellishments are divorced from their original context and take on an iconic, totemic presence.

Cara Ober earned an MFA in painting from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2005 and a BA in fine arts in 1996 from the American University. She is commercially represented by Civilian Art Projects in Washington, DC. She has participated in numerous international art fairs in the past few years, including Scope, Miami, Aqua, Miami, and Scope, NY. Cara was awarded a Best of Baltimore MVP Award from Baltimore Magazine in 2009 and second prize in the 2007 Bethesda Painting Awards. She is a 2006 MD Individual Artist Grant recipient for painting and received a Warhol Grant for Emerging Curators in 2006. Cara writes art reviews for The Urbanite Magazine, ARTnews and publishes her own award-winning local art blog, BmoreArt.

May 11-June 16, 2012

Opening Reception: Friday, May 11, 7-9pm

In Cara Ober's second solo exhibition at the gallery, the Baltimore artist continues to experiment with visual mash-ups, creating decorative images from vintage wallpaper, textiles, ancient artifacts, and home decor.