A veritable co-op, Black Floor Gallery is an experimental collaboration of six Ohio-bred craftsmen/artists/entrepreneurs who left the Midwest to lead the bohemian life in the big city. Their stories will soon be available in T-shirt form at Urban Outfitters. No seriously, they have a silk screening business that just sold three designs to the store. One is an image of Ohio with an arrow labeling Dayton. Another reads "Rap Music Makes Me Feel Invincible," a brilliant catchphrase coined by gallery co-owner Nick Paparone during his eighth grade appearance on The Jerry Springer Show.
While the gallery houses several side businesses, displaying the works of young Philadelphian artists is its clear focus. The room is split down the middle by floor color; the exhibition side is painted black (hence the name), while the other half is a workshop cluttered with sewing machines, fabric scraps, prints and bike messenger bags, among other things.
This month Blackfloor will host an exhibition by artist Luren Jenison, entitled One Wall Is An Edge, which the gallery describes as "a panoramic installation of landscape and shelter." The show tells a narrative through panoramic drawing and silk-screened prints covering the gallery walls. It centers on the recreation of a traditional Yurt, a central-Asian dwelling, draped in pieces of cut felt and a painted parachute. Jenison's work explores the dichotomy between societal bonds and isolation from surrounding cultures. Bordering Philly's own culturally separate Chinatown, Black Floor seems the perfect place for the exhibit.
Make this Friday a real first -- stray west of the standard Old City path to Black Floor. You'll be greeted by Midwestern hospitality, music, cats named "Little Cat" and "Snake," an eclectic crowd and, of course, the interesting work of an up-and-coming artist. But make sure not to get off at the third floor: there's a dominatrix studio on the fourth.
Black Floor Gallery 319 North 11th Street, 3rd Floor www.blackfloorgallery.com
