PRISTINE MACHINE by Katie Hubbell
On view, October 4th – 27th Opening Reception, October 4th, 6–10pm
Feeling drained? Low energy? Uninspired? Completely depleted? You might be depressed, overworked, overloaded or experiencing an existential vacuum. Sucked away in the vortex of time, the vortex of nein. Nope all wrong. It’s all about energy input and energy balance. PH balance. Breathe. Exhale carbon dioxide, and be sure to urinate daily.
Practice Gallery is pleased to present Katie Hubbell’s multimedia installation PRISTINE MACHINE. This work questions the cycles of consumption by juxtaposing melting surfaces and a sucking mouth with fish nibbling on carefully manicured fingers and a leech. Sculptures are scattered throughout this corporeal yet celestial landscape, as a tangled yet hypnotic voice beckons the viewer to “re-boot, re-boost … clean, pristine, mean machine.”
Hubbell’s practice reveals the flirtations and repulsions, states of boredom and states of obsession, parallels and contradictions which inhabit twenty-first century advertising culture and self-help models of care. Having received an MFA in sculpture from the Slade School of Fine Art, University College London, Hubbell’s works have been exhibited throughout England, Scotland, Wales, Poland, the Netherlands, and the United States. Hubbell has participated in residencies at the Wassaic Artist Residency; Vermont Studio Center; Elsewhere Museum Residency; Atlantic Center for the Arts; and OxBow School of Art and Artist Residency. Hubbell currently lives and works in Philadelphia.
*Garra rufa fish, also known as “doctor fish” were employed in ancient medicine to treat patients with psoriasis as they feed on the stratum corneum layer of human skin. They have since been integrated into the spa community for infamous “fish pedicures.” Similarly, leech therapy (hirudotherapy) has a longstanding place in ancient and contemporary medicine. Leeches secrete peptides and proteins through their saliva. These anticoagulants increase blood circulation and help to break up blood clots. Their most common contemporary use is in plastic surgery, yet aside from modern and holistic medicine, “leech facials” have also been popping up as alternative beauty fads. No animals or critters were harmed in the production of this material.