Descry, Rosalux Gallery’s exhibit featuring the latest work from John Alspach and Terrence Payne, will run from September 4-30 with free admission. Alspach, also the owner of the Shiny Robot Art Studio and Gallery, focuses on removing otherwise mundane pieces of urban decay from their environment and reassembling them, often including fragments of old metal signs and billboards.

Why he would be paired with Payne, whose paintings are mainly critical portraits with witty, sarcastic slogans, is not apparent at first glance. However, Alspach and Payne are dedicated to documenting the character of their surroundings, and these thought-provoking pieces allow viewers to see through the lense both artists share.

Their work asserts that imperfection is not a disqualifier for beauty, and the honesty of their vision is simultaneously brutal and redemptive.

Located in the historic Minneapolis Riverfront’s Open Book building, Rosalux is an artist collective gallery featuring the unique artwork of its 24 artist members. Because the gallery is managed and funded by the collective, all profits go directly to the artist and the prices of artwork are surprisingly reasonable.

WHAT TO EXPECT: Don’t blame us if you come away with a sudden urge to buy a warehouse condominium and fill it with these artists’ works. Alspach and Payne are the reigning kings of condo art; their bold, iconic paintings hang in the hippest rehabs. It makes sense, given that Alspach creates his works from salvaged construction debris, discarded billboards, and metal signs—perfect for that industrial ethos. Payne’s portraits of his youthful peers are similarly striking, evoking both coolness and vulnerability.

WHY GO: You can’t buy hipster cred like this. Oh wait, actually it’s all for sale.

by Mary O'Regan

Watch where you step because that dirty piece of paper or broken construction sign might become inspiration for a work of art by local maker John Alspach. The Northeast resident, whose creations will be on display at Rosalux Gallery this month, enjoys working with materials beyond the standard paintbrush and canvas. Discarded billboards, metal signage or a mound of dirt are fair game in Alspach’s world. According to PR coordinator Ingrid Restemayer, he’s a player of material, repurposing mass media and toying with form to create a new way of looking at everyday outdoor objects.
Artist Terrence Payne is Alspach’s co-exhibitor for Descry, a Middle English term which means to see something by looking carefully. He’s also a storyteller, says Restemayer, but in a different way. Payne, who hails from Iowa but lives in South Minneapolis, started out doing caricatures of friends and family members, and, as he entered adulthood, had amassed an “alphabet of icons.” Each one has its own story, often relating to the title of the piece and representing the trials and tribulations of life. Terrence’s work is somewhat coded and has grown popular among collectors who love his dainty characters with their big, sorrowful eyes and long necks.