Crawl Space is pleased to present Zebra Skin Cake Knife, new work by Diana Falchuk, an exhibit of drawings, paintings and collages inspired by the artist's ongoing exploration of decay in food and textiles. For the past five years, Falchuk's collages and diverse site-based installations in both outdoor and interior spaces have explored the human narratives embedded in the colorful textures of preserved or lingering decay.

In Zebra Skin Cake Knife, Falchuk focuses her attention on processes involving food: fruits, vegetables, meats, wallpaper, fine fabrics and used clothing became fodder for experiments involving wax, mold, dirt and the effects of liquids, sauces, salt, sugar and sun over time.

Compelled by the aesthetic likeness between the implied patterns in her studies of food and the actual patterns in her studies of textiles, Falchuk creates a series of brightly-colored paintings on vellum that pair the tools of food preparation with the by-products of decay—uneven, patterned surfaces and battalions of insects.

In a similar vein, the show's centerpiece, a 10' x 8' mural, will include tilting and swirling chandeliers, food utensils and insects painted in pinks, violets and yellows. Inspired by the aesthetic parallels between decaying food and crumbling fresco, Falchuk will "age" the mural using dirt, paint and glue, and reveal it for the gallery's November members show, Collections.