TINT Gallery is pleased to announce Alexandra Cicorschi’s first solo exhibition, “No Middle Ground.” Cicorschi creates artwork out of salvaged wood, collected from construction sites and discarded furniture around the Bay Area. The process of recycling lies at the base of her art practice, both as a plea for sustainability as well as her personal belief in the importance of renewal through recirculation.

Cicorschi’s new body of work is a contemplation on how people navigate situations of conflict. “No Middle Ground” is the liminal space where forces crash into each other and pull away in opposite directions. When two views confront each other with equal weight, the tension creates a need for a shift. These are situations of rivalry as well as utmost trials for solidarity between two people.

As seen in the artwork titles, each work represents two contradicting points of view within one composition, such as “I have hope | I have fear” or “Build | Dismantle.” While each statement represents a singular view, the opposing statements, side by side, take on a new meaning. When forces inside relationships compress, the resulting tension can either carve bridges towards a common ground or lead to rupture. In some of Cicorschi’s pieces, the feelings of disharmony and rupture are represented by complete physical severance of the artwork in two. In other works, such as “Too Soon I Too Late,” the two sides come together in a joint, fluid resolve. When two people attempt to identify a middle ground between their opposing wills, they can forge a path forward. Ultimately, what can keep people from drifting apart is their ability to remain in these transitional spaces long enough until both sides can move towards the next step together.