The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art Shows Sculptures & Paintings by Aggie Zed

Written by Robert Hollingswood Friday, 13 January 2012 00:14

Charleston, South Carolina.– The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art at the College of Charleston School of the Arts is pleased to present "Aggie Zed: Keeper's Keep" on view at the institute from January 20th through March 10th 2012. This exhibition is comprised of sculpture, installation, paintings, drawings, and sketchbooks that chart Aggie Zed’s unique working methods in a variety of media. Born in Charleston and raised among farm animals on Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina, Zed graduated from the University of South Carolina with a BFA in painting and sculpture. Shortly thereafter, she moved to Richmond and, later, Gordonsville, Virginia, where she lives and works today. Zed’s studio practice is eclectic and varied. Often starting with images from her sketchbook, she may develop some of these concepts into paintings and others into sculptural tableaux or installations.

Her subject matter is nothing less than the sum of human civilization, with an emphasis on our relationship to the animal kingdom. Human and animal figures collide with furniture or landscapes; rabbits sprout wheels or wings, while horses drown in collapsing scaffolding. Zed’s dreamscape narratives probe the inner reaches of the subconscious mind. Although Zed’s work derives much of its meaning from literary associations, her imagery teems with invention and startling leaps of imagination. Her visual poetry conjures a world in which logic and rationality take a comfortable backseat. Human foibles and impulses are placed in the foreground. And even though she works in different media, her conceptual approach remains consistent throughout. Derived from the title of one of the artist’s works, Keeper’s Keep alludes to British usage of the term “keeper” for “curator,” and plays on the double meaning of “keep” as both noun and verb. Aggie Zed is a storyteller whose works take us out of our consensual reality and into a world filled with absurdity, ambiguity, and the gifts of artistic imagination.


The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art is administered by the School of the Arts at the College of Charleston and exists to advocate, exhibit and interpret visual art, with an emphasis on contemporary art. The Halsey Institute is committed to providing a direct experience with works of art in all media within an environment that fosters creativity, individuality, innovation and education. In addition to producing exhibitions, lectures, film series, publications, and a comprehensive website, the Halsey Institute serves as an extension of the undergraduate curricula at the College and as a cultural resource for the region. In September 2009, the Halsey Institute moved from it’s former location within the Simons Center for the Arts into an expanded gallery, anchoring the first floor of the 5-story, College of Charleston School of the Arts building addition, The Marion and Wayland H. Cato Jr. Center for the Arts. With new facilities including two interlinked, state-of-the-art gallery spaces, an intimate media room, and a cozy library/resource area, the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art can now truly offer a worthwhile contemporary art experience for the regional and national community. Since 1984, the gallery bearing the Halsey name has presented hundreds of exhibitions by regional, national, and international artists. In 2005, the gallery changed its name to the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art. This change was designed to more accurately reflect the range of programming, which encompasses visual arts, film, musical performances, artist residencies, commissioned installations, publications, and lectures. Conceived as a non-collecting contemporary art facility, the Halsey Institute has evolved but remained a vital cultural resource for the City of Charleston, the State of South Carolina, and the region. The Halsey Institute hosts between 5 and 7 exhibitions per year that highlight contemporary art by emerging and mid-career artists of national stature. All exhibitions are accompanied by programming such as lectures and gallery talks by artists and curators, commissioned films, and performance pieces. In addition, the Halsey Institute has maintained a strong international component over the years, bringing in artists from Italy, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, China, India, Africa, and Slovenia. Throughout the year the Halsey Institute hosts supplementary programs and events in collaboration with the College of Charleston, and numerous local and regional arts organizations. Visit the institute's website at ... http://halsey.cofc.edu

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