Jason Noushin installation opening reception Friday at Creative Arts Workshop

Creative Arts Workshop Hilles Gallery
80 Audubon St., New Haven, (203) 562-4927
Jason Noushin: UN{Common) Sense
Aug. 3—31, 2012.
Opening reception: Fri., Aug. 3, 5—6:30 p.m.

Press release from Creative Arts Workshop

Creative Arts Workshop (CAW) presents an installation by New Haven-based artist Jason Noushin, titled UN(Common) Sense, from Aug. 3—31, 2012. The installation is viewable from outside the CAW Hilles Gallery throughout the month. An opening reception will be held on Fri., Aug. 3, from 5—6:30 p.m.

Jason Noushin’s current work explores the power, influence and impact of money in zones of conflict, specifically the Bosnian War. The site-specific installation UN(Common) Sense is a visually rich re-creation of the Bosnian conflict, as viewed through the intimacy of a gallery window. Comprised of drawings and sculptures constructed entirely of now-worthless Bosnian and Yugoslavian paper currency, the installation includes a map of the region made with nearly 900 bills; a table and chair; briefcases filled with cash and a bicycle leaning against a wall, poised for flight.

Says Noushin, “We are told from an early age that money is the root of all evil; all immorality and wickedness can be traced back to money.” By combining the powerful symbolism of money with the horrors of war, this installation investigates the way a common currency—generally seen as a symbol of a united nation—takes on new significance in the minds of both criminal and victim during times of political, civil and economic unrest.

Creative Arts Workshop is a non-profit community art center devoted to fostering creativity through participation in and appreciation of the visual arts, serving the Greater New Haven area since 1961. Each year, CAW offers a wide range of classes in fully equipped studios to more than 2,000 adults and 1,000 young people, and more than 30,000 people visit exhibitions in CAW’s galleries. CAW is supported by its membership, tuition, donors, arts-related fundraising events and a dedicated group of volunteers. Additional funding comes from the Connecticut Office of the Arts.