Edite Grinberga Exhibition
Mimi Ferzt Gallery
This event has ended.
Mimi Ferzt Gallery presents the first New York solo exhibition of Latvian/German artist Edite Grinberga. In her work, Grinberga seamlessly weaves together the traditions of European and American Hyperrealism and The Dutch Golden Age of the 17th Century. Within this synthesis, the artist develops a subtle and unique visual language of her own. Exhibiting an outstanding mastery of the brush, she dwells extensively on pictorial details, turning them into meaningful metaphors.
The exhibition at Mimi Ferzt Gallery highlights the rich optical and visual layers consistent in Grinberga`s oeuvre. Her serene yet emotionally charged interiors where the objects accumulate into seemingly accidental still lives, become meditations on the nature of time, perception, and memory.
Grinberga`s delicate are completely devoid of human presence. Yet, the viewer immediately becomes aware that it was a human existence that shaped those airy almost ethereal rooms. In “The Air of the Cloth” (2014), a translucent piece of fabric dominates the foreground, contrasting sharply with the bright patch of red spilling out of the burlap tote casually layed on the floor. The French windows and the door are flung open, suggesting someone’s hasty departure from the peaceful stillness of the room. The intricate bluish shadows on the floor blend with the waifish transparency of the cloth in this magnificent tableaux, exemplifying Grinberga`s talent as an excellent colorist.
In “The Blue Passport Lying on the Bed” (2014), the artist explores the pictorial contrasts of paper and linen. The painting depicts an almost untouched bed. The exquisite white of the sheets, the deep blue of the passport cover, and the rough surface of the envelope are slowly captured by the dusk. The array of symbols thrown together into this graceful composition brings to mind the idealistic notions of yearning for exploration and adventure, and yet a profound desire of finding a home. The artist delves into deeper explorations of these ideas in “Hilde Domin” (2014), a sophisticated tribute to the idealistic writings of her favorite female poet and writer. Domin (1909-2006), was one of the most important German language poets of her time. She spent most of her life in exile in Italy and England. Her poetry, outstanding in its simplicity of imagery and clarity of language, bears a strong nostalgic note.
Regal crimson finds its way into “Mariannenplatz” (2010), where a piece of richly colored cloth brings out the minimalist design of the centerpiece chair. In “A Music Room” (2007), the day is drawing to its close. The twilight slowly enters into someone’s intimate space, foreshadowing the night with its endless temptations. The deep shadows form spiritual patterns on the wall, while a black lace item of unknown origin and purpose is spread seductively on the black lacquered top of the piano. Outstanding in its nuanced interplay of shadow and light, this profoundly romantic painting becomes Grinberga`s contemplation on the complicated nature of music, the magnum opus of all arts. The artist further delves into this subject with “A Silent Violin” (2010), featuring a delicate musical instrument without it’s bow, leaning against the wall. Grinberga lovingly lingers on the graceful curves and the gleaming surface of the instrument, the elegance of which underscores its gentle equilibrium and the uncertainty of its position.
Media
Schedule
from October 30, 2014 to November 21, 2014