Raffaella Chiara "Parallel Lines"
frosch & portmann
This event has ended.
Prior to her exhibition, the Swiss artist (living in Bern, Switzerland) spent one month in New York City; this metropolitan territory became her laboratory - a humble downtown apartment served as her studio. Chiara's discoveries and vast inspirations are consolidated within the defined area of the gallery space.
She responds to her New York experience with an illuminated mountain/cave sculpture, largesized drawings and a collection of smaller works pinned together to a personal map of the city.
In Under Construction, the viewer faces an unstable equilibrium; a solid rock balances on a fragile base, reminiscent of an upright positioned accordion fold, a recurring element in Chiara's oeuvre. Stacked on top of the rock is a smaller stone and a yet another folded structure, poised upon translucent geometrical shapes. The miraculous formation is on the verge of collapsing - a not entirely absurd parable for Manhattan? A more grounded perception suggests the elegant Eames House-like composition in Downstairs. The elevated box rests on thin crisscrossed columns; as if detached from its defined location, a ramp with colored panels emerges underneath.
Chiara's large scale collage Parallel Lines is the artist's personal vision of New York. It is a juxtaposition of the fixed lines of the city's grid-like streets and avenues and the constantly evolving and unpredictable street life that they contain. Following in the tradition of city portraits such as Piet Mondrian's Broadway Boogie Woogie, Chiara looks beneath the surface of the city's concrete streets to convey the rhythm and vibrancy of New York.
Space is an important subject in Raffaella Chiara's work; her combination of architectural systems with organic structures results in a whole new universe. One thing that all the drawings have in common is the lack of human presence. Strong, defined pencil lines energize the surreal compositions - subtle coloring adds a touch of calm.
Media
Schedule
from May 07, 2011 to June 26, 2011
Opening Reception on 2011-05-07 from 18:00 to 20:00