Hot for JOG

Philadelphia Weekly
February 7, 2007

Editor's Picks

Art

“Hot for JOG”

"Hot" shot: One in the Chamber is a lamp-worked glass sculpture by Joshua Opdenaker.

Sat., Feb. 10, 6-11pm. Free. Through April 10. James Oliver Gallery, 723 Chestnut St., fourth fl. 267.918.7432. www.jamesolivergallery.com

Baby, it’s cold outside. Like, really cold.

What better way to warm your frostbitten extremities than checking out the “Hot for JOG” show at James Oliver Gallery?

Expertly exemplifying hot processes, the pieces showcased in this new installment are created by administering temperatures upward of 2,000 degrees to glass and metalworks—resulting in striking works of plasticene visions that litter the walls and tables of the up-up-upstairs gallery.

If the marathon trek up to the fourth-floor gallery doesn’t sweat out the calories you ingested over Super Bowl weekend, surely the works on display will shock them out of your system.

Featuring pieces ranging from intimate wearables to all-up-in-your-grill installations, the compositions stretch the imaginations that dare to tread along the borders of metal and glass.

An installation that flies in the face of the tried-and-true oil-on-canvas (yawn) tradition, “Hot for JOG” puts the fun back into the run-of-the-mill gallery trend.

Add this hotspot as one of the cooler artsy spaces in Center City. (Joshua Valocchi)