"Glimpse: Enigmatic Visions" Exhibition
William Bennett Gallery
This event has ended.
The William Bennett Gallery presents the opening of its newest project Glimpse: Enigmatic Visions, curated by Alessia Maiuri. Artists participating in the show include Erick Sanchez, Olga Spiegel, Patricio JiJon, Oh Joon Kwon, Joshua Field, Danielle Fischer, Gina Leon, Glenn Friedel, Ryan Schroeder, Maura Falfan, Maggie Connors, Tania Marmolejo, Bonnie Gloris, Lovina Purple, Gavin Sewell, Tara Bergey and David Fuller.
A desert like landscape reaches out towards the horizon;
in the distance, the uncertain mirage of a tree stands out against a barren earth. A woman’s face emerges from a floral world, as a modern Ophelia. The deceitful vision of a mirage, or the manifestation of an enigmatic presence, represents the leitmotiv of this collective exhibition, which assembles works of art by young emerging and mid-career artists. The paintings, photographs and collages on display propose ambiguous images in order to regain a poetic vision of the artwork and of the world it represents.
Contemporary society and culture have reduced the human eye to a passive receptor of images; therefore, emptying our eyes of every poetic and spiritual interpretation. The overproduction of urban culture has often brought a simplification, and even banalization, of the artistic process and product, by emphasizing the dadaist concept ‘‘everything is art’’. Recently, museums have been characterized by the tendency to rehabilitate the halo of the artwork and the intimacy of its encounter with the viewer. These works, whether figurative or abstract, require an involved vision. They necessitate an aptitude for the discovery of mysterious spaces, for the encounter with apparitions coming from dreamy worlds and surreal landscapes.
Some of the works are realized through techniques, which conceal the image making it indefinite and vague, such as the photographs by Danielle Fischer or the small collage by Bonnie Gloris. Some others lend themselves to a more immediate reading, such as Tania Marmolejo’s portraits, but they still keep mysterious references to an aquatic or floral origin. Although all of these works utilize different subjects, materials and techniques, they are characterized by a complex intellectual, spiritual and aesthetic exploration. In the show, abstraction reaches the bound of tactility and dialogues with classical references, such as the Three Graces evoked by Maggie Connors and the hints of well-known artworks scattered in the elaborated collages by Gavin Sewell.
Born in Turin, Italy, Ms. Maiuri has participated in numerous contemporary art shows, most recently Modernikon. Contemporary Art from Russia, which was featured at the Venice Biennale. Currently she is attending a postgraduate program at Zurich University of the Arts.
Media
Schedule
from October 13, 2011 to October 23, 2011
Opening Reception on 2011-10-13 from 18:00 to 21:00