Brooklyn’s Cooler Gallery wasn’t the frigid interior space I needed for respite from the upper 90s heat on my mid-July visit. Following a brief chat with curator Michael Yarinsky, I got on with exploring the summer exhibition by Brendan Timmins. Titled fissus ornate (translated from latin to split decorated) Timmins presented a series of wood furniture and decorative objects incorporating imperfection.

The embrace of imperfection with structural stability as a control and adherence to process; Instinctual creation, freestyle construction, unhindered by non crucial mistakes. Mistakes become textural.

Brendan TImmins

Timmins collection shows the evidence of his hand in both the construction and applied decorative patterns. The term modern craft seems particularly apt to describe these pieces. Even the tables/stools exhibited in the center of the space contain subtle variations in shape making each one unique.

What’s memorable about this work are the colorful hand painted patterns in an op art style. These add an extra element of dimension to otherwise flat surfaces.

Photos and Text: Dave Pinter