Ivin Ballen is an artist who confronts questions pertaining to the deteriorating political situation in the United States, but does so in largely formal terms. “50/50,” the title of Ballen’s recent exhibition, alludes to the dual nature of a practice that incorporates both painting and sculpture. Yet in spite of this apparent split, Ballen’s processes here remained roughly consistent. He constructs three-dimensional models using an improvised mixture of cardboard, masking tape, plastic, and found objects. Ballen then makes molds from these ad hoc compositions, which he fills with Aqua-Resin and