Arts
"Next Women" opens at Luis Alvarez Gallery
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Sep 3, 2010 - 10:57 AM

Opening Thursday, September 16th, the Fernando Luis Alvarez Gallery presents its latest exhibit: "Next Women." This will be an all-female show featuring the international in-house talent of Damla Tokcan Faro, Dina Pizzarello, Marija Pavlovska, Elena Kalman, and visiting artist, Marina Shrady. The exhibition will also feature four, rare 1966 serigraphs by renowned sculptor Louise Nevelson.

By positioning these six artists together, "Next Women" examines how women are forging new paths in an aesthetic landscape by exploring the contention between traditional ideals of femininity and the androgyny of today's contemporary art. The show is as much about "girl power" as it is about constructing the feminine facade.

The Gallery is thrilled to have the opportunity to include Nevelson's work in their show, as she embodies this duality of the female artist. Her elaborate wood sculptures and tenacious personality are perfect examples of the "new woman" emerging at the turn of the 20th-century. Eschewing traditional family roles for the role of an artist, she pioneered the medium of "found object" art, creating pieces that Andrea K. Scott of the New York Times describes as "evok[ing] dualities of flesh and bone, public and private, frontality and depth" ("A Life Made Out of Wood, Metal and Determination," May 9, 2007). However, at the same time, Nevelson exuded an elegance only palpable in the female form. With eyes framed in mink fringe and hair wrapped in silk scarves, she accentuated her femininity by physical means. Throughout her career, Nevelson epitomized the sort of strength, mystery, and controversy that surrounds most female artists. The serigraphs on show at the Gallery are screen-prints of her work published through the Pace Gallery.

"The women in this show have such diverse styles, techniques, cultural backgrounds, and ages that they create such an interesting conversation among them," states collector Judyth Kallman.

Each artist works with juxtaposing two conflicting forces: light and dark, elegant and ugly, playful and violent. By placing them all within the same space, it creates a siren sound of contrast and polarization. In Pizzarello's Luce, a woman looks out through an intricate Carnivale mask exquisite in its fine detail and decoration, while her body melts out from underneath, a folding mass of pallid skin. In Faro's With Shadow, a digital image of Botticelli's Birth of Venus is remastered to displace the goddess with a figure that is at once familiar and haunting.

"I wanted to feature my female artists in a way that fully showcases their dynamic talent. Acquiring the Nevelson pieces through the Sandra Neustadter Gallery was a timely addition to this show," says Gallery-owner and contemporary artist Fernando Luis Alvarez. "The controversy surrounding Nevelson's background and sexuality demonstrates the relentless criticism that female artists go through at the hands of the public. Nevelson is an example of how one rises above that. Each artist in this show represents the perfect strength of women in her own, unique way."

The opening reception for "Next Women" will be held on Thursday, September 16th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at the Fernando Luis Alvarez Gallery, 96 Bedford Street, Stamford, CT. Complimentary beverages will be served. This event is free and open to the public.
For more information about each artist, contact Rebecca Hansen at rhansen@fernandoluisalvarezgallery.com

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