Andrew Ina: Neither Here Nor There
June 5 - August 5, 2022
Opening reception June 10, 6pm - 10pm

Neither Here Nor There is a project of non-objective paintings, sculpture, and stop-motion animation that utilizes symbolism within handmade and domestic patterns. In this show of new work at CO-OPt Research + Practice, Andrew Ina plays with surface, texture, pattern, and geometry. The exhibition is comprised of a vibrant and varied grid of paintings on paper covering one entire wall of the gallery, a free-standing sculpture of traffic cones wrapped in floral wall paper, two canvas paintings, and a rear-projected video piece occupying one of the windows. The video installation is designed to be viewed from outside the gallery.

About the work, Ina says, "My practice combines a bold collage aesthetic of superimposed layers and found material such as wallpaper to establish a sense of discord and illuminate our nonsensical socio-political landscape. I look for ways to create contradictions by employing common symbols in unorthodox arrangements. By subverting their intended function, these symbols are reduced to formal elements as if devoid of meaning. In contrast to these empty signifiers, I often oversaturate my surfaces with a flurry of patterns to visualize a sense of dominance by multiplicity. I am interested in how all these gestures create a feeling of cultural dissonance and how opacity, both in meaning and formally, can be a strategy for making."

About the artist:
Andrew Ina is a visual artist, filmmaker, and educator currently based in Lubbock, TX. He holds a BFA in Fine Art from the Columbus College of Art and Design (OH) and a MA in Animation from the Glasgow School of Art in Scotland, UK. His most recent work uses the caution pattern and signage, in varying forms, in response to the current nonsensical social and political climate. His work has been exhibited widely including recent solo exhibitions at Otterbein University (OH) and 934 Gallery in Columbus (OH) as well as group exhibitions at MINT Gallery, Atlanta (GA), Site: Brooklyn Gallery (NY), and the Columbus Museum of Art (OH). He is a GCAC Individual Artist Fellowship recipient and his work was featured on the PBS series Broad and High. In 2020, he was a finalist for the Miami University Young Painters Award selected by artist Ebony G. Patterson. His artwork is also displayed in many public collections including Otterbein University, Greater Columbus Convention Center, PNC Tower Cincinnati, and Columbus College of Art and Design.

Andrew Ina has also spent the last decade working professionally as a director, cinematographer, and editor. His short documentary work has been screened in festivals across the country including the Athens International Film and Video Festival, Independent Film Festival of Boston, Cleveland International Film Festival, Portland Film Festival, San Francisco Documentary Film Festival, and St. Louis International Film Festival. He is an Emmy Award recipient for his camera work on the PBS documentary series Columbus Neighborhoods. His short film Tiny Out Loud was an official selection in dozens of film festivals and was awarded “Best Ohio Short Film” by the Columbus Film Council. Andrew has also documented the work and performances of several distinguished artists including Ann Hamilton + SITI Company, Miranda July, Michael Mercil, and Sarah Oppenheimer.