Opening reception: Friday, February 15, 5:30 - 7:30 pm
"Talkabout" gallery discussion: Saturday, March 1, 1:30 to 2:30 pm
Challenge 4:
The Samuel S. Fleisher Art Memorial presents the final exhibition in the thirtieth season of the four-part Wind Challenge Exhibitions at Fleisher — the Delaware Valley’s premier juried artist exhibition program. This season’s twelve Challenge artists were selected from a field of nearly 300 applicants to exhibit in one of four three-person exhibitions. The fourth of this year’s Challenge Exhibitions features the work of artists Judy Gelles, Erica Zoë Loustau, and Shelley Spector.
Judy Gelles uses photography to examine the Philadelphia population through the lens of ten couples who reflect the diversity and complex nature of the city. Each couple was asked to describe his or her partner, talk about dreams, wishes, concerns, worries, disappointments, and what they like to do together. In this collaborative series, her intent is to focus on what is behind the typical smiling portrait, the backstage rather than the footlights. The images are blurred while the text is in focus. The blurred portrait draws the viewer in and the text brings them into focus. At that point, one discovers the subjects' uniqueness and universality. Ms. Gelles received her M.F.A. from the Rhode Island School of Design.
Erica Zoë Loustau's Rapunzel's Longing is a mixed media sculptural installation depicting a dramatic moment in a revised version of the well known fairy tale. In this version, Rapunzel unfurls her hair and takes drastic action in response to her captivity. The installation of suspended mixed media elements is designed to wrap the viewer into the same space as the work. The flock of foreboding birds appears to float in a swirling volume through the gallery. The metaphorical work explores the ambiguity of our own psychological landscape where sometimes the line between longing and reality blur. Ms. Loustau received her B.A. from Hampshire College and her M.F.A. from The University of Pennsylvania.
Shelley Spector's sculpture pieces are playful in spirit and filled with political satire. Spector works in wood along with other materials, mostly found or reclaimed, then incorporates motors and music into the pieces. She states, “With my newest work I continue to work in this vein while I explore themes of popular culture, interpersonal relationships and contemporary ideals.” Ms. Spector studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and received her B.F.A. at the University of the Arts.
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