Second Street Gallery is pleased to present Point of Origin, an interactive installation by artist Judith Pratt in SSG’s Dové Gallery.

Exploring themes of migration and immigration, Pratt’s installation tackles the distinct ways in which our origins, whether they are a geographic location or cultural belief system, shape our individual and collective identities. The exhibition, acting as both a sculptural installation as well as a performance piece, creates an environment in which viewers can explore their own distinct connections to place and identity. Within the exhibition, viewers will be invited to contribute to the installation themselves, signing their name and point of origin on a pre-cut sheet of paper and attaching it to a spindle, creating over time a new sculptural piece, which, in Pratt’s words, will “acknowledge the importance of including our similarities and differences without imposing bans.”

Pratt’s own point of origin is in central Virginia, near Washington D.C., an area that is deep seated in both political power, as well as a painful historic past. According to Pratt, memories such as the Civil War and slavery are “paradoxically mixed with the great natural beauty of the landscape.” This dichotomous relationship serves as a source of inspiration in her work.

Pratt received a Master of Fine Arts in Painting from American University in Washington D.C. before going on to complete Master of Arts in Modern and Contemporary Art History from Christie’s in New York.  Along with her career as an artist, Pratt has also served  as a Curatorial Assistant at the Morgan Library and Museum in New York.

EXHIBITION SPONSORS

The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts