Thursday, November 6, 2014

The Right Amount of Wrong



Featuring Artists:


Roxanne Jackson: http://roxannejackson.com/


ISE Cultural Foundation
Main Gallery, 555 Broadway, New York, NY 10012
T  212-925-1649     info@isefoundation.org
Tuesday – Saturday,  11:00am  – 6:00pm     www.iseny.org

The Right Amount of Wrong
Curated by Lovina Purple

November 7th – December 19th, 2014
Opening Reception: Friday, November 7th, 6-8pm
Artist Talk: Saturday, November 22nd, 2-4pm




 “Right” and “wrong” are subjective terms.  Decided by cultural norms; actions, behaviors, even markings are regarded as “good or bad” according to these standards in their particular place and time.  This exhibition focuses on work that balances on the edge of these descriptions.  They combine questioning of ethical and cultural “norms” with a slightly disturbing edge while remaining aesthetically beautiful in their artistic renditions.  They are the perfect blend, or “the right amount of wrong.”


Each of the artists and works in this exhibit use some form of a cultural identification with “wrong” and turns it into “right” through their aesthetic choices of material, action and form.   Hints of recognizable references from bones and blood to x-rays and hands are transformed into whimsical sculptures, installations, paintings and drawings.  The works suck you into their worlds of beauty within the realm of decay, injury and wit as each artist plays with your emotions in a world of discovery and intrigue.








Thursday, September 26, 2013

Connecting the Dots...



Featuring Artists:
Mira Alibek
Beth Dary
Amanda Small
Margaret Withers

ISE Cultural Foundation, Front Gallery


Connections can be physical, sentimental, metaphorical or technological. The phrase “Connecting the dots” is often used as a way to illustrate the ability to associate one idea with another, to find the “bigger picture” so to speak. A source of constant discussion and debate in the Art World, what is the connection of the artist to the material/concept, to the venue? We are obsessed with what ties one to another, be it object, thought, material or idea. In Connecting the Dots… four female artists will be exhibited work in various mediums which artistic and creative uses of the dot/sphere/orb or circle are used both physically and conceptually in their work.


The exhibition consisted of two installations and mixed media paintings. Each artist has a personal connection to process, concept and idea. The artists touch on wide ranging topics that reflect upon their various backgrounds and experiences, but in all, not only do they use the shape of the dot or sphere in their work, but they allude to the unending anticipation of what is to come next. They tell a story that is not yet complete, where some of the tale is yet to be told.

(Above: Mira Alibek)
Dots themselves when in multiples lead us to another place. They hang in the balance of expectation, anticipation and a feeling of “to be continued” or unending vastness. Yet they also tell us “we are here” mark the end of a sentence and pin-point us down to our coordinates. In this exhibition, the work highlights the open-ended process of creation and the interconnectedness of artists whose work at first glance is quite different, but when brought together connect the dots…      

 
(Top Left: Beth Dary, 
Right: Margaret Withers
Left & Above: Amanda Small) 

Saturday, March 31, 2012

KNOT YOUR AVERAGE KNIT

A City Without Walls Exhibition

Curated by Lovina Purple

March 31 – May 11, 2012, Wednesday – Saturday 12 – 6.

Opening Reception Saturday March 31, 6-8pm

Knot Your Average Knit

Knot Your Average Knit investigates the genre of Fiber Arts in its techniques, methods and influences on Contemporary Art making. In this exhibit, skills traditionally labeled as “craft”, such as sewing, stitching, weaving, knitting, and quilting, are used to create works that defy that historic definition, either through physical fiber elements in the work or with aesthetic qualities that relates conceptually to textiles. The artists in this exhibit embrace the time-tested methods of Fiber Art, while using the influences of the genre in fresh, contemporary and unexpected ways.

Curator Lovina Purple sums up the show’s theme, saying: “The artists in Knot Your Average Knit not only share an interest in the Fiber Arts as an influence, technique and medium, but they also share a common thread,” through their insistence on expanding the physical and thematic boundaries of the medium.




The eight visual artists selected for exhibition include: Elisa D’Arrigo, Karen Margolis, Christina Massey, Hyo Jeong Nam, Gail Rothschild, and Katya Usvitsky. In the New Media Room; paperJAM, a collaboration between Hannah Lamar Simmons and Rebecca Kinsey, with special performance on opening night.

cWOW is a non-profit urban gallery for emerging art that advances the careers of artists while expanding the audience for contemporary art. Our award-winning exhibition, education, and public art programs use art and technology to help build communities, careers, and contemporary culture. Based in Newark since 1975, cWOW is New Jersey’s oldest nonprofit contemporary art space, and a three-time winner of the prestigious NJ State Council on the Arts "Citation of Excellence." It is easily accessible by car, mass transit, or at www.cwow.org.

DIRECTIONS TO cWOW: 6 Crawford Street, Newark, NJ. Located on the corner of Halsey and Crawford Street, between Broad and Washington, near Lincoln Park and Symphony Hall. From the North on Broad St: R on W. Kinney; L on Washington; L on Crawford. From NJ Turnpike & 78 W: Exit 14 to 78 W to Newark Airport / Route 21 N Exit; Broad St Exit; L at W. Kinney; L on Washington; L on Crawford. From 78 E: Exit 56 to Clinton Ave; R on Clinton; L on MLK; R on Crawford. From Garden State Parkway: Exit 140 to Rt. 22 East; to 21 North; L onto Broad St; L at W. Kinney; L on Washington; L on Crawford. Mass Transit from NYC & Philadelphia: PATH, NJ Transit or Amtrak to Newark Penn Station. Take taxi or bus #39 to Broad St. and W. Kinney; Walk on W. Kinney to Halsey; L one block to Crawford. Accessibility: Entryway & bathroom are ADA accessible. Large-print text from cWOW publications is available on request. Verbal descriptions of artworks and touchable artworks are also available on request whenever possible.


paperJAM: live performance opening night
Opening Night