Allan Packer's Solo Exhibition, "Gate" Opens This Friday, November 19th at 7pm

Join us this Friday from 7-9pm for the opening reception of Allan Packer's solo exhibition, "Gate."

Allan Packer
“Gate”

November 19th—January 9th
Reception: Fri. Nov. 19th, 7-9

We are proud to present a solo exhibition of new works by Allan Packer which features an installation and series of sculptures and paintings inspired during the artists residency at the Wurlitzer Foundation in Taos, NM. Studying astro-archeological sites on the canyon floor of the Rio-Grande provided Packer an entry into the mythological unknown of ancient civilizations. Referencing sites where the Puebloan and other Native American groups used petroglyph markings to note locations of importance, Packer adopted one of the most frequently used symbols: the spiral, which symbolized a portal to the spiritual dimension. The belief is that at these sites, the spiritually enlightened could transcend their physical form. This concept, and the symbolic significance of the spiral petroglyph was Packer’s point of departure into a new body of work that references time and matter and addresses our understanding of infinity.

In this exhibition Allan Packer presents “Portal” which directly references the markings of this lost culture, revivifying their beliefs into a contemporary perspective. With this piece, Packer animates a spiral petroglyph, in a kinetic sculpture that is both hypnotic and meditatively calming.

In a larger installation, entitled “Gate,” Packer references portal sites from the base of the Chaco Canyon, recreating the perceived/proposed experience of transcendence. Packer re-envisions landscape painting, through the incorporation of an endless canvas, with a rotating scroll of an infinite landscape of the New Mexico desert. Allan Packer captures the quality of light as popularized in South-Western style of painting and presents an experience of temporal and spatial expansion and compression. Static sculptural elements counter this kinetic component of the installation. Carved figures of an owl and snake allude to contemporary and ancient symbology of ‘the messenger” or “the protector.”

Join Us this Friday, October 15, from 7-9 for the Opening Reception of "My Territory is the One You Stole From Me" New Works by Patricia Smith

MY TERRITORY IS THE ONE YOU STOLE FROM ME

Patricia Smith

October 15 - November 14, 2010
Opening: Friday, October 15, 7 - 9 PM

We are pleased to present a solo exhibition of new works by Patricia Smith entitled, My Territory Is The One You Stole From Me. In her persona as a cartographer of the psyche, Smith delves deep into the subconscious to return to the surface with a planar view of unedited impulses and allegiances, exposing unmitigated and raw internal motivations. Her delicate ink and watercolor paintings and drawings act as organic architectural plans developed from emotional inner-workings, these highly detailed works expose the confused density of the mind, clarifying the often incongruous and oppositional standpoints of decision making and alliances.

There is a dark humor to Smith’s work as she turn a critical eye to the self, the atmosphere she builds through layers of stippling and washes of color complements her decisive pen-work used in defining the walls of these imagined plot plans. With these new works, the artist characterizes the physical space within the mind, mapping ideas and thoughts, giving a logical designation on paper to the intangible. Smith takes a position of authority as she uncovers the absurdity that can be found in complex reasoning and emotions, listing and verifying their structural whereabouts with certainty.

In her “Structural Containment for Reactive Clandestinism” organic chambers and enclosures form this proposed system for containment and capture. Smith daringly exposes the relevant placement and wall density necessary to secure secret thoughts and issues from escape; in these schemes areas are labeled as holding fields for “Mitigated truth”, “Clouded issues” “Negotiated risk”, “Trust issues” and “Stored resentment”. Smith emboldens her standpoint of authority for the commission of these plans with marked plot plan numbers and stamps such as used to approve building plans, but in an act of misdirection, Smith alters the terms stamped to such statements as “‘recalcitrant’ or “no fame, no shame”.

This is Patricia Smith’s third solo exhibition at the Front Room gallery. She has exhibited extensively throughout Europe and the United States. In October her work will be featured in “Zweierlei” at Ausstellungsraum Klingental in Basel, Switzerland.

"Next Stop Atlantic" Extended through October 10th, Join us for the closing reception, tonight Friday, October 8th from 7-9pm

In his second solo exhibition at the gallery Mallon presents a stunning series of photographs, which capture the retirement of hundreds of New York City Subway cars to the depths of the Atlantic Ocean.

In a bold move, the NYC Transit authority joined the artificial reef building program off the East Coast of the US in 2000 and sent stripped and decontaminated subway cars off on barges to be dropped into the Ocean in order to build refuge for many species of fish and crustaceans which would colonize the structures.

Mallon traces the progress of the train cars on their way towards their last voyage, majestic waves approach the viewer in these large scale photographs as they too are transported out to sea to behold the lifting and transfer of these massive machines. One photograph hauntingly depicts elements of nature creeping into their barren hulls, drifts of snow lines the walkways, a glimpse of sunshine streams through their removed doors as they wait in stacks to be carted off to sink to the dark depths of the ocean floor.

Mallon's photographs elicit both the sadness and the beauty of cascading water overtaking these iconic figures of New York transit as they sink beneath the surface of the water; surges and sprays are caught in time. Stephen Mallon dedicated the last three years to following this endeavor, chronicling the last phase of NYC Transit's involvement in this program. The photographs that are presented in this exhibition capture the grandiosity of this effort; the weight of these 18-ton train cars can be felt as they are ferried off and plunged into the water.

These newly released photographs are from Mallon's continuing series; "American Reclamation" which chronicles and examines recycling processes in the U.S. This series holds optimism in the innovation of salvaging techniques, showing the possible gains that can be made as industrial waste is revivified. In "Next Stop Atlantic" Mallon determinedly tracks the final stage of the lives of these, once indispensable modes of transit for passengers on the New York subway lines, canonizing them in New York history.

Coming in September: Next Stop Atlantic, photographs by Stephen Mallon

Save the date: September 10, 2010 for the opening of "Next Stop Atlantic", a solo show of photographs by Stephen Mallon.



September 10th—October 3rd, 2010
Reception: Friday, September 10th, 7-9pm
Viewing hours: Fri-Sun 1-6 and by appt.

The Front Room gallery is proud to present “Next Stop
Atlantic,” an exhibition of photographs by Stephen Mallon.
In his second solo exhibition at the gallery Mallon presents
a stunning series of photographs, which capture
the retirement of hundreds of New York City Subway
cars to the depths of the Atlantic Ocean.

In a bold move, the NYC Transit authority joined the artificial
reef building program off the East Coast of the US
in 2000 and sent stripped and decontaminated subway
cars off on barges to be dropped into the Ocean in order
to build refuge for many species of fish and crustaceans
which would colonize the structures.

Mallon traces the progress of the train cars on their way
towards their last voyage, majestic waves approach the
viewer in these large scale photographs as they too are
transported out to sea to behold the lifting and transfer
of these massive machines. One photograph hauntingly
depicts elements of nature creeping into their barren
hulls, drifts of snow lines the walkways, a glimpse of
sunshine streams through their removed doors as they
wait in stacks to be carted off to sink to the dark depths
of the ocean floor.

Mallon’s photographs elicit both the sadness and the
beauty of cascading water overtaking these iconic figures
of New York transit as they sink beneath the surface
of the water; surges and sprays are caught in time.
Stephen Mallon dedicated the last three years to following
this endeavor, chronicling the last phase of NYC
Transit’s involvement in this program. The photographs
that are presented in this exhibition capture the grandiosity
of this effort; the weight of these 18-ton train cars
can be felt as they are ferried off and plunged into the
water.

These newly released photographs are from Mallon’s
continuing series; “American Reclamation” which
chronicles and examines recycling processes in the U.S.
This series holds optimism in the innovation of salvaging
techniques, showing the possible gains that can be
made as industrial waste is revivified. In “Next Stop Atlantic”
Mallon determinedly tracks the final stage of the
lives of these, once indispensable modes of transit for
passengers on the New York subway lines, canonizing
them in New York history.

Most recently, Mallon gained much acclaim with his
striking “Brace for Impact: The Salvage of Flight 1549,”
a series of photographs documenting the salvaging
of the US Airway flight that, amazingly, airline captain
Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger had managed to safely
emergency-land in the Hudson River in on January 15,
2009. The images Mallon produced during the two-week
effort by maritime contractor Weeks Marine have since
been exhibited in New York and featured in numerous
publications and media including: New York magazine,
Vanity Fair, NBC, CBS, Resource Magazine and Wired.
In the summer of 2010, “Brace for Impact: The Salvage
of Flight 1549” will be exhibited at the University of the
Arts in Philadelphia.

June 21st from 6-10pm join us for Make Music New York

Monday, June 21st, from 6-10pm join us for an exhibition of sound curated by Jeremy Slater as part of Make Music New York

Featuring the artists:

6-6:20 - AOI

6:30-6:50 – Tangerine Engine

7-7:20 – Tom Swirly

7:30-7:50 - tū

8-8:20 – Joy Through Noise

8:30-8:50 – NYC Papermill

9-9:20 – Noise Floor Music

9:30-9:50 - Chris Burke and Tamara Yadao

Opening Reception of "The Shadows of Panspermia"

Join us this Friday from 7-9pm for the opening reception of "The Shadows of Panspermia" with new work by Gregory Curry and Lisa DiLillo.

The Shadows of Panspermia
with works by: Gregory Curry and Lisa DiLillo
April 16th—May 16th
Reception: Friday, April 16th, 7-9
Hours Fri-Sun 1-6 and by appt.


The Front room gallery is proud to present "Shadows of Panspermia," an exhibition featuring paintings by Gregory Curry and photographs by Lisa DiLillo. Both artists create dreamlike, ambiguous, landscapes. By avoiding easily recognizable elements of our environment these two artists give us new perspectives on our surroundings.

Gregory Curry states that the mission of his paintings is "to contemplate a post human environment inspired by and extrapolated from the various dynamic conditions now impacting on the human animal." The entities that populate his paintings seem imbued with pure energy on a primordial level, set against a background of contrasting complimentary colors. Yet Curry still utilizes familiar modes of representation such as rendering, perspective and classic spatial relationships in a way that draws the viewers into these uncanny realms.

Lisa DiLillo's images, in contrast, are actual photographs of elemental forms existing in nature. DiLillo focuses on environments in transition using common materials such as bubble gum, air freshener gels, glue, shampoo, Styrofoam, and glitter to create luminous, sparkling terrain. In DeLillo's photographs ordinary materials are imbued with transcendent qualities, building on such qualities of light as fugitive light trails, reflections, and translucence.

“Space of Mind, works on paper” Opens Friday, February 26th

“Space of Mind, works on paper”
With works by: Thomas Broadbent, Emily Roz and Patricia Smith
February 26th-March 28th
Reception: Friday, February 26th, 7-9
Williamsburg Armory Event: Saturday, March 6th, 7-midnight
Hours: Friday-Sunday 1-6 and by appointment

We are pleased to present, “Space of Mind, works on paper” a three artist exhibition of the medium, including works by Thomas Broadbent, Emily Roz and Patricia Smith.

In this exhibition, Patricia Smith presents a series of drawings that re-create the physical space within the mind, mapping ideas and thoughts, giving a logical designation on paper to the intangible. Elusive concepts become concrete under the hand of Smith as she delicately lays out paths and constructions, marking these thoughts like territories. The language Patricia Smith uses clarifies desires and creates a foundation for imaginative thinking to flourish.

Emily Roz’s new works in this show captivate the viewer with images of core animalistic behaviors in feeding. Roz investigates this most basic primitive directive, with stunning depictions of wild animals in seemingly native habitats, revealed as illusion, with her insertion of domestic floral. These works display the incongruity within wild, natural impulses and the human desire to cultivate beauty, with the propagation of plant-life.

Thomas Broadbent, known for his large-scale sculptural installations, presents new works on paper that explore existentialistic ideas through trompe l’oeil representations of seemingly unrelated objects and scenes. These works stride between illusion and metaphor to consider the physical reality of each piece and its representative elements. Broadbent’s detailed watercolors and drawings question the utility of each component when presented in such a manner to disengage and re-present their perceived use.

Join us for Tonight's 2nd Friday event in Williamsburg

This Friday, February 12, 2010, Front Room gallery will be open late for Williamsburg's 2nd Friday event. Participating galleries in the WGA will open their doors late, for a fun festive evening of art viewing. If you have not yet gotten the chance to visit Sasha Bezzubov's exhibition, "Wildfire" this is the last weekend. So take advantage of the comparably warm weather and join us for a glass of wine or a frosty beer.

Final Weekend of Sasha Bezzubov's "Wildfire" Exhibition

This coming weekend is the last weekend to view Sasha Bezzubov's "Wildfire" exhibition.
On view through this Sunday, February 14, 2010.



"Wildfire"
Photographs by Sasha Bezzubov
January 8th—February 14th
Viewing hours: Fri-Sun 1-6 and by appointment

Front Room Gallery is pleased to present Sasha Bezzubov's "Wildfire." This will be the first public exhibition of photographs from Bezzubov’s recent book by the same name, published by Nazraeli Press. In the “Wildfire” series Bezzubov focuses on the devastation wrought by wildfires on the American west, with dramatic large-scale landscapes containing charred, burned-out forests, houses and neighborhoods. In one image a spiral staircase rises skyward out of the wreckage, the last remnant of a once standing home. Other photographs in this series focus on the damage inflicted on nature, the pine forests, and whole mountainsides reduced to ashes.

These heartwrenchly beautiful landscapes draw us in and confront us with the uncomfortable notion that we might be somehow to blame. In the introduction to the book ”Wildfire,” writer Bill McKibben explains these distressing statistics: in the last 35 years the number of fires increased by a factor of four; the average fire went from lasting a week to lasting five; the total area burned increased by six and a half times; the average fire season increased by 78 days, or 64 percent. McKibben then goes on to express that these fires are an indicator of global climate change, caused in part by the earlier thaws of snow in the mountains and longer dry seasons. Within these series of photographs, the larger scope of our involvement with the natural world and our ability to protect and preserve against some of the more devastating effects of natural disasters is brought to question…are we to blame, and can we prevent the onslaught of wildfires, are just a few of the questions that arise from Bezzubov’s most recent series.

This is Sasha Bezzubov’s third exhibition at the Front Room Gallery, and a continuation of his ongoing series “Things Fall Apart,” landscape photographs of the aftermath of natural disasters. This series, which began in 2001, contains photographs of forest fires, earthquakes, tidal waves, and tornados, around the world. “Wildfire,” Bezzubov’s most recent presentation from this larger series, targets an intimate look at the catastrophic impact of these uncontrollable fires on many varied landscapes, from urban to wilderness.

Front Room gallery

Stephen Mallon featured in the London Sunday Times

"They Walked on Water" by William Langewiesche