another Gallery Presents ‘Fugue’ Inaugural Exhibition

In The Menu, Visual Arts by Akeem K. Duncan.Leave a Comment

On the evening of November 29, 2018, an enthusiastic gathering of artists, curators, and collectors came out to celebrate the launch of another Gallery. Opened under the premise that New York doesn’t necessarily need “another gallery”, its ironic name plays off the concept of creating something very unusual or significant, while merely referencing it as “another”.

Promising a robust curatorial program filled with mid-level artists dedicated to pushing their artistic practice beyond the established norms, another Gallery is the realization of a bold vision for a collaborative platform that dismisses the standard hierarchies of modern galleries, while maintaining the highest level of quality over its offerings.

The inaugural exhibition ‘Fugue’ centers on new work by nine contemporary artists, each operating beyond the confines of traditional practice by implementing the use of unorthodox materials and rare techniques. Inciting a dialogue about the fundamental nature of modern abstraction, the exhibition stakes its claim on the redefinition of artistic modality, questioning the evolutionary process through which an artist achieves fluency at a visual language of their own design. Exhibiting artists include Grady Corbitt, Dana James, Andrew Laumann, Marria Pratts, Benedict dos Remedios, Andrew Straub, and Nick Theobald.

In describing the current show, gallery director Jeffery Jones explains, “We collaborated with many artists I admire and view as game changers. This was a true melding of minds, everyone involved wanted to bring something fresh and unexpected to the Lower East Side. Our artists come out from various backgrounds in art, fashion, and other creative fields. This is really what New York is all about.”

Featuring a striking showcase of paintings, mixed media, assemblage, and textile pieces, ‘Fugue’ reflects a palpable sense of excitement about experimentation and bold choices in application and medium. Nick Theobald utilizes raw earthy materials for his sculptural beeswax-dripped paintings on repurposed canvas, while Dean Levin employs architectural precision to his minimalist singed oil paintings in his ongoing investigation of space. Marria Pratts infuses her handwoven tapestry with a pixelated sensibility and frenetic whimsy. Dana James puts strips of canvas through an elaborate process of pouring and mark making, before forging them into a compilation of histories, both literally and figuratively. Andrew Laumann employs a painterly collaging process to assemble his large-scale paintings out of print advertisements and commercial posters. The exhibition, up through the end of December, is a testament to the myriad of possibilities inherent, once an artist frees themselves from the constraints of “how it’s always been” and refocuses their energy on “what can be”.

“’Fugue’ has been a fantastic opportunity to collaborate with native New Yorkers and artists from overseas to showcase new works in relation to their everyday practice,” said co-curator Colin McElroy. “Everyone took a markedly different approach to the creation of their work and it’s incredible to see how each piece interacts and plays off the others.”

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