ELLEN CHUSE
Through the Looking Glass
April 20 - May 21, 2023

440 Gallery invites you to the final weeks of Through the Looking Glass, a solo exhibition of abstract paintings by Ellen Chuse. This collection of acrylics on paper represents Chuse’s on-going spiritual journey as an artist, as well as reflections on aging and intimations of mortality. Deceptively simple compositions are formed with deeply saturated color and bold symbolic shapes that create a complex and meditative experience for the viewer.

Chuse writes about her work:

"This series pairs my exploration of saturated color with archetypal forms. These forms, and the passages through them, represent entryways into the unknown. In some cases the images can seem an invitation, in others an obstruction, but there is always a way through. The beauty of an abstract, symbolic image is that meaning will vary from one person to another, one culture to another. As I’ve explored this over the years, I have discovered an inherent mystery and ambiguity of meaning to my art which I find exciting."

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IN THE PROJECT SPACE
Shape Scapes

Fred Bendheim   
Catherine Orrok   
Karen Gibbons

Taking shape both literally and figuratively, Shape Scapes is a group show featuring the work of Fred Bendheim, Karen Gibbons and Catherine Orrok. Individually, each artist considers shape in a distinct way: intricately-cut forms, symbolic mixed-media constructions, and geometry that is as fundamental as a square. Collectively, this show highlights the expansive view of shape as a frame of reference for viewing work that goes beyond just a framed piece hanging on a wall.

Catherine Orrok’s abstract paintings are defined by the grid which is the starting point. To emphasize the non-objective aspect of this work, she uses a square format, a shape that is alluded to and reflected in the content. The geometry, however, is unstable and dynamic. Acrylics, applied in a bold, painterly manner, provide Orrok with the language of color and form to create spacial effects that are filled with movement. “The choices I make are intuitive,” says Orrok. “Space is invented as I go along, the process rife with uncertainty in spite of the grid.”

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CALLING ALL ARTISTS
2023 Annual Theme Show

Did you hear? We've extended the open call for artists for the 2023 Annual Theme Show, Mapping. Juried by Maddy Rosenberg founder of CENTRAL BOOKING, artwork selected for exhibition will be on display at our Brooklyn gallery space June 29 to July 28, 2023. Artists at all levels of experience and career stages are invited to submit work in all mediums.

Mapping celebrates the artist as explorer and cartographer. Whether symbolically, metaphorically, conceptually or geographically, artists unveil and invent new ways to see the world. While a map can serve as a guide to a physical space, artists are invited to also explore how art can chart the world beyond the tangible.

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT IS WEDNESDAY, MAY 10

Learn More and Apply Now