Boston, MA - The judi rotenberg gallery presents Dave Cole’s much-anticipated, first solo exhibition in Boston: Trophies and Monuments.  Dave Cole is an ambitious young artist who is gaining international attention for his bold and inventive sculptures.  From major mechanical installations, to hand-held knit pieces, Cole activates industrial materials and sometimes domestic means, to create conceptually layered work.  In this exhibition Cole will present an impressive body of new work created in the past year.

Cole investigates the complexity of American Identity, engaging notions of colonization, production and consumption.  Usurping the spaces that they occupy, Cole’s sculptures are enormous in scale.  The production of his work is often labor-intensive, requiring repetitive motion, and excessive amounts of time, and/or material to complete.  Cole’s use of powerful, recognizable symbols triggers both celebratory and critical readings of American patriotism.  A powerful new series of work is Breast Plates, modeled directly from Native American breast plates from the Smithsonian Collection, and constructed entirely out of contemporary combat artifacts.

Every few years, Cole tackles an enormous new project.  At his exhibition, Cole will unveil the concept of his next major endeavor.  Cole & Hisler's Truck Mobile is a stunning collaboration with fellow sculptor Hinmaton Hisler.  Imagine life size, vintage trucks dangling and gently spinning midair above your head in the American landscape.

Along with deeply inquisitive investigations, Cole’s work carries a sense of wit and absurdity.  Cole often utilizes unconventional materials and methods in playful, outlandish ways, finishing his pieces with crass punch-lines.  Another new body of work is a series of figurative sculptures, constructed from dress forms and antlers, titled, Trophy Wives.  Cole will also be exhibiting is a life-size dress patterned after a Vera Wang evening gown, and knit from dollar bills.  Hundreds of bills have been knit together to create a stunning, revealing, and satirical article of clothing.  On exhibition September 7 to 30, 2006.