Things are not always as they seem. This elusive concept haunts the periphery of three distinct artists’ works. For the month of April, Projects Gallery announces three simultaneous solo shows of disparate artists who are united under the umbrella concept of Perception : Reality.

Projects Gallery is pleased to present these three divergent artists from different regions of the continent. Each will be given their own exhibition space to focus on the individual artist, but the thematic thread connects them all. Popular in their own right, Perception : Reality invites the viewer to discover what lays beyond the first impression of these three artists’ works.

Perception : Reality will be on display April 6 - 25, 2009. There will also be an artist reception First Friday April 6th from 6 - 9 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public.

Canadian Ross Bonfanti creates his popular concreatures by rescuing cute, stuffed animals from thrift stores and ripping the stuffing out of ‘em. The empty vessels are then filled with concrete. Once cured, the fur skin is peeled away, leaving a disarming concreature in place. Textured with the underside of the fabric, with fur embedded in the exposed seams, these sculptures retain their plush appearance and original features, including button eyes and noses. The resulting sculpture is a constant juxtaposition between the expected and the actual.

Philadelphian Lauren Lyons is widely regarded for her photography of bands in highly stylized shoots. She has photographed artist portraits and cheeky scenarios for illustrious clients such as Interscope Records, PETA, HBO, and Philadelphia Magazine. Celebrated for her accentuation of the artifice of her subjects, Lyons’ work exemplifies a contraction; she captures the visual evidence of the veneer. Her carefully constructed images provide elusive glimpses at the truth, enough to ‘whet the palette’, ultimately creating a composed stylized truth.

Cuban Alex Queral’s carved phonebooks receive “how’d-he-do-that?” attention wherever they travel. From local Philadelphians to citizens of Beruit to the millions in Europe who have discovered his work online and in the press, his lushly detailed carvings are created from the soft material of phonebooks. Utilizing classical carving techniques on an unexpected material, Queral brings forth the individual from the faceless masses. Queral crafts recognizable visages, vaguely familiar but elusively foreign, as well as evoking his own cast of characters from the bound sheets of paper.