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MOTI HASSON GALLERY is very proud to announce the opening of ALL PURPOSE by SHINIQUE SMITH. The exhibition runs from November 15 to December 29, 2007. Please join us for the opening reception on Thursday, November 15, from 6 to 8 pm. A catalogue co-published by Moti Hasson Gallery and Skestos Gabriele Gallery will also be available. The publication features a forward by Moti Hasson and Stephanie Skestos Gabriele; introductory remarks by Moti Hasson Gallery Special Projects Director Ingrid Chu; an essay by independent curator and International Studio and Curatorial Program Director Sara Reisman; and an interview with the artist by curator and writer Isolde Brielmaier. First showcased as part of Beyond the Pale (2007), Moti Hasson Gallery's inaugural exhibition in its current Chelsea venue, ALL PURPOSE is Shinique Smith's first solo exhibition with the Gallery. To be "at one with your environment" seems an apt statement to keep in mind when considering the work of Shinique Smith. Much of her work to date has literally been straddled among materials from the world in which she is a part. Not surprisingly, then, an inherent sense of contradiction exists in ALL PURPOSE. While remaining accessible to viewers through the artist's continued use of readily available materials ranging from clothing and furniture, to books, bags, toys and even a ceramic swan, Smith's work is not bounddespite literally being so at times in a ritualistic process wherein the artist binds found, used, or discarded objects togetherbut merely contingent to their component parts. In fact, there is an enduring quality of impermanence in her work, as Smith often reconfigures pieces in a kind of free association that imbues newfound meaning to her conglomerate forms. Also incorporating marks and gestures that have clear associations to both eastern-style calligraphy and western-style graffiti, Smith's "bundling" process connotes comfort as much as it does restriction, and a sense of being inextricably tied to the elements they are comprised of as well as the environments that they inhabit. Consistently questioning the reason for 'things', Smith reinterprets the connections we build our personal myths on through the objects that we hold onto and discard to expose how excess and waste are intimately related to how these objects find new meaning and personal (not to mention aesthetic, cultural, and market) value as art. As Sara Riesman writes of Smith in the catalogue: "Many of her sculptures occupy space as monuments to both the losses and glut of the global economy, commenting on how status are determined, at least in part, by social, political, and economic conditions." Ultimately, Smith's philosophy is embodied through ALL PURPOSE. Like the title, Smith's work implies multiple reads and is informed by the artist's enduring interest in how the vast expanse of 'things' come to shape our experiences, and how these have meaning and resonate on a personal, social, and spiritual scale. Reisman continues: "[Having] developed an original aesthetic from the signifiers of poverty (and waste associated with wealth), Smith's artwork maintains a critical position as it involves the recycling of objects without pandering to [the] expectation that art should serve a purpose (as an educational tool, for instance) beyond its potential to create a contemplative space," a point to be further illuminated through the exhibition. SHINIQUE SMITH (born 1971, Baltimore, Maryland; lives and works in Brooklyn, New York) received her MFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2003. Smith's work has been featured at Franklin Artworks (Minneapolis, 2007); P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center (New York, 2006); Cuchifritos (New York, 2006); the 9th International Istanbul Biennial (Istanbul, 2005); Longwood Arts Project (New York; 2004, 2006); the Studio Museum in Harlem (New York; 2004, 2005); the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art (Colorado, 2005); Gallery 400 (Chicago, 2005); Rush Arts Gallery (New York, 2005); Art In General (New York, 2004); and Triple Candie (New York, 2004) among many other exhibitions and projects. Currently showcased as part of Red Badge of Courage, curated by Omar Lopez-Chahoud (New Jersey, 2007), Smith's work will also be featured in Unmonumental: The Object in the 21st Century, curated by Richard Flood, Laura Hoptman and Massimiliano Gioni (New York, 2007) when the New Museum reopens December 1. Other upcoming exhibitions include RECOGNIZE! Hip Hop and Contemporary Portraiture at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery (Washington, 2008) and Something for Nothing, curated by Dan Cameron at the Contemporary Arts Center (New Orleans, 2008). Represented in numerous significant public and private collections, Smith has been featured in such international publications as African Arts, Artforum, Art in America, ARTnews, frieze, NYFA Arts Current, The New York Times, The Village Voice, and the Washington Post, and has received numerous grants and awards, including residencies at The Headlands Center for the Arts, the Henry Street Settlement, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, New York Federation for the Arts, and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture among others. Shinique Smith is represented by Moti Hasson Gallery in New York and Skestos Gabriele Gallery in Chicago. Shinique Smith will discuss her participation in Unmonumental in conversation with artists Abraham Cruzavillegas, Gedi Siboney, and curators Laura Hoptman and Massamiliano Gioni on December 13 at the New Museum. Gallery Hours are Monday to Saturday, from 10am-8pm and by appointment. For more information or to receive images for the exhibition, please contact the gallery at 212-268-4444 or email Ingrid Chu at ingrid@motihasson.com. |