'SCUMB Flowers' at Dashwood Projects

Photos and text by Tia Jonsson 

Wednesday night marked the opening of Justine Kurland's "SCUMB Flowers" at Dashwood Projects, an offshoot of Dashwood Books. 

The exhibition showcases a selection of Kurland's collages, which she made from fragments of photo books by men. It's part of a larger project Kurland calls "SCUMB Manifesto," inspired by Valerie Solanas' 1967 text with the same name. Kurland adds a 'B' — "Society for Cutting Up Men's Books."

Kurland also collaborated with poet Ariana Reines on a zine titled "Ariana and SCUMB Flowers" that mixes the collages with Reines' poetry. (Below, from left: Reines and Kurland.)

The show will be up until Nov. 11, and a poetry reading with Reines will be held on Oct. 5 from 5 to 7 p.m.

Dashwood Projects, which debuted in this space last March, is located at 63 E. Fourth St., between the Bowery and Second Avenue. The gallery is open Wednesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 1 to 6 p.m.

 Tia Jonsson is an East Village resident and former student of Justine Kurland.