Thomas Broadbent "Chronicle" Exhibition Opens This Friday

The Front Room presents:

Thomas Broadbent

Chronicle

November 16th-December 16th
Opening: Friday November 16th 7–9

Thomas Broadbent's solo exhibition of paintings presents a series of composed situations that observe fashion and the utility of trends, from the relative meaning of dress, to the inference of status from leather bound books. Broadbent's new watercolor paintings impeccably represent scenes of positioned components that relay metaphorically meaning through the association of objects within each new work.

Broadbent’s still lives have a timeless quality, seeming relating to the turn of the century at times. His paintings of shoes, cocktail gowns, pants, and moreover, books and ledgers often incorporate prosaic birds such as chickadees and pidgons. These situational compositions have an uncanny presence, that seems to exist somehow here and there, past present and future.

Broadbent's inherent sense of light, tone and pallet heighten the perceived reality of his compositions. Scale shifts, fusion of objects and delusive structures place the viewers themselves within the framework of each painting. The scope of Broadbent's new series ranges from introspective commentaries to universal truths; the works in "Chronicle" capture the essence of our current place in time, personal desires, implied status of objects, and implications of a future utility for those items represented. 

Williamsburg Every Second Friday, This Friday!

Williamsburg Every Second Friday

Friday, November 9th 7-9 Ballot Show Post Election Reception

The Ballot Show

EXTENDED THROUGH NOVEMBER 11TH

Featuring works by:
Wayne Adams, Julia Whitney Barnes, Thomas Broadbent, Ken Butler, Ethan Crenson, Steven Gagnon, Hubert Dobler, Robert Egert, Peter Fox, Enrico Gomez, Gregory de la Haba, Eric Heist, Kim Holleman, Lori Korchek/Mike Bade, Jesse Lambert, Jason Clay Lewis, Stephen Mallon, Sascha Mallon, Karen Marston, Mark Masyga, Geoffrey Owen Miller, Rob de Oude, Ross Racine, Marshall Reese/Nora Ligorano, Daniel Rosenbaum, Emily Roz, David Shapiro, Mark Stilwell, Savannah Spirit, Rodger Stevens, Miho Suzuki, Cibele Viera, Larry Walczak, and more. 

The Front Room Gallery is proud to present the third quadrennial “Ballot Show”, which focuses on the American electoral system, and the overall notion of voting with a ballot. “The Ballot Show,” held every 4 years since 2004, is inspired by the American election, and contemplates our antiquated electoral-college voting process.

Historically political art has often been associated with repression. This exhibition, however, is motivated by the idea of making a choice, and what it that choice represents.Steven Gagnon’s diptych, “Hope” and “Progress”, parody the famous Shephard Fairey portrait of President Obama, and feature an unopened six-pack of the hipster beer, Pabst Blue Ribbon, as one component and the following serigraph image of the cans empty and smashed. Jason Clay Lewis’sneon sign “Inner Peace $100, Blow Jobs $20” is about a more basic choice.

Many of the artists in this show have gone outside of their wheelhouse to create works specifically for this show. Ethan Crenson presented a performance at the opening in which he tattooed people with their party affiliation on their hands knuckles a la “Knight of the Hunter”. Kim Holleman's piece is an installed work and a point of sale purchase for Presidential Lottery Tickets. Holleman made the designs and printed them on actual lottery tickets. Complete with Presidential Foil Seals on them, and signed to make them, "official". Holleman's ballot lottery is a commentary on buying elections, and how "the candidate that spends the most money, has the best chance of winning the grand prize".

Veteran political artists Marshall Reese and Nora Ligorano's video of a cast ice sculpture "Melting Middle Class" might be chilling, and it might be true. With AMERICA for PRESIDENT, Lori Korchek and Mike Badehave been traveling across the country with a replica of the Oval Office desk, asking Americans to take a seat as Commander in Chief and tell them "what good they would do for America;" The will have the actual desk as part of performance/installation with the video in the gallery.Emily Roz’s polaroid grids of actors portraying The President in Hollywood movies leave us with the impression that "Presidential" might just be a look.

During this time of overt partisanship “The Ballot Show” is not about looking at the candidates, it is about looking at the system that created them, and us.

Election Night Party/Screening

Join us Election Night for a celebration of the Democratic Process in Full Swing. We will be presenting live coverage as polls close on election night. 

The "Ballot Show" has been extended through November 11th, with special presentations on Tuesday as we anxiously await the results!

Election night party/Screening  Tuesday, November 6th, 8pm-Decision

The Ballot Show

October 25th–EXTENDED THROUGH NOVEMBER 11th

Featuring works by:
Wayne Adams, Julia Whitney Barnes, Thomas Broadbent, Ken Butler, Ethan Crenson, Steven Gagnon, Hubert Dobler, Robert Egert, Peter Fox, Enrico Gomez, Gregory de la Haba, Eric Heist, Kim Holleman, Lori Korchek/Mike Bade, Jesse Lambert, Jason Clay Lewis, Stephen Mallon, Sascha Mallon, Karen Marston, Mark Masyga, Geoffrey Owen Miller, Rob de Oude, Ross Racine, Marshall Reese/Nora Ligorano, Daniel Rosenbaum, Emily Roz, David Shapiro, Mark Stilwell, Savannah Spirit, Rodger Stevens, Miho Suzuki, Cibele Viera, Larry Walczak, and more. 

The Front Room Gallery is proud to present the third quadrennial “Ballot Show”, which focuses on the American electoral system, and the overall notion of voting with a ballot. “The Ballot Show,” held every 4 years since 2004, is inspired by the American election, and contemplates our antiquated electoral-college voting process.

Historically political art has often been associated with repression. This exhibition, however, is motivated by the idea of making a choice, and what it that choice represents.Steven Gagnon’s diptych, “Hope” and “Progress”, parody the famous Shephard Fairey portrait of President Obama, and feature an unopened six-pack of the hipster beer, Pabst Blue Ribbon, as one component and the following serigraph image of the cans empty and smashed. Jason Clay Lewis’sneon sign “Inner Peace $100, Blow Jobs $20” is about a more basic choice.

Many of the artists in this show have gone outside of their wheelhouse to create works specifically for this show. Ethan Crenson presented a performance at the opening in which he tattooed people with their party affiliation on their hands knuckles a la “Knight of the Hunter”. Kim Holleman's piece is an installed work and a point of sale purchase for Presidential Lottery Tickets. Holleman made the designs and printed them on actual lottery tickets. Complete with Presidential Foil Seals on them, and signed to make them, "official". Holleman's ballot lottery is a commentary on buying elections, and how "the candidate that spends the most money, has the best chance of winning the grand prize".

Veteran political artists Marshall Reese and Nora Ligorano's video of a cast ice sculpture "Melting Middle Class" might be chilling, and it might be true. With AMERICA for PRESIDENT, Lori Korchek and Mike Badehave been traveling across the country with a replica of the Oval Office desk, asking Americans to take a seat as Commander in Chief and tell them "what good they would do for America;" The will have the actual desk as part of performance/installation with the video in the gallery.Emily Roz’s polaroid grids of actors portraying The President in Hollywood movies leave us with the impression that "Presidential" might just be a look.

During this time of overt partisanship “The Ballot Show” is not about looking at the candidates, it is about looking at the system that created them, and us.