September 3: First Thursday @ Elizabeth Leach Gallery | Terrain Change, a new installation by MK Guth
First Thursday Reception
September 3, 6-9pm
MK Guth
Terrain Change
Installation/New work
The Elizabeth Leach Gallery is pleased to present Terrain Change, a new installation by MK Guth.
MK Guth's work melds mythology with the familiar – locating archetypical characters inside a
contemporary setting, or using devices from fairy tales to examine contemporary issues. Featuring
chandelier clouds and umbrellas made of sweaters and hats, video and photography, loggers and
mermaids, Terrain Change poses the question: Who do you become when your environment
disappears? When your life is defined by your profession, who are you without it? Through the use
of mythic characters Guth examines the very contemporary issues of climate change, the changing
global economy, and the American cult of the career. She examines the way each of us is defined
by moments of change — the shift from one state of being to another. These changes lead to new
or altered forms, ideas, relationships, and eventually to extinction or obsolescence. The
heterogeneous collection of objects and video works that make up Terrain Change act as an
allegory for the instability of our times and the uncertainty of our potency for renewal.
Portland, OR based MK Guth holds an MFA in Studio Art from New York University. A
multidisciplinary artist, Guth's work has been exhibited internationally, at numerous museums,
galleries and festivals including: Portland Art Museum: APEX, Portland, OR; The 2008 Biennial
Exhibition, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY; Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San
Francisco, CA; The Melbourne International Arts Festival, Australia; Nottdance Festival, England; A
Gentil Carioca Gallery, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, Portland, OR;
Swiss Institute, New York, NY; Betty Moody Gallery, Houston, TX; White Box Annex, New York, NY;
White Columns, New York, NY; Artists Space, New York, NY; Side Street Projects, Los Angeles, CA;
Frye Museum, Seattle, WA; and Consolidated Works, Seattle, WA. Guth is a founding member of
the RED SHOE DELIVERY SERVICE, an on-going collaborative performance project. In 1997 Guth
was a recipient of the Betty Bowen Fellowship Award from the Seattle Art Museum. Guth is
represented internationally by the Elizabeth Leach Gallery.
