Diverse Styles, Engaging Artists: New Members’ Show Opens At 440 Gallery
When 440 Gallery co-founder Nancy Lunsford formed a collective back in 2005, the space began to carve a unique path in the community.
The term “collective” is taken seriously — creating an environment for artists in order to hone, develop, and experiment with their craft — all within the context of a supportive community.
The artists often join the collective after producing an extensive body of work — as is the case with those involved in the New Members’ Show — which opened last Thursday and runs through Sunday, March 20.
Six artists are featured in the exhibition: Jo-Ann Acey, Eric Banks, Richard Barnet, Leigh Blanchard, Joy Makon, and Amy Weil. They bring extremely diverse backgrounds and approaches to their work. The exhibition has been curated by collective member Karen Gibbons.
We asked each new member to take some time to discuss how they envision their collective membership affecting their craft. We also had an opportunity to hear about goals during their tenure at 440.
The responses below feature the six artists in their own words, as well as thoughts from curator Karen Gibbons.
Jo-Ann Acey
From 440 Gallery: “Jo-Ann Acey’s two-dimensional work is very much about spontaneity, movement and control of materials and compositions. Her new series “Full Circle” explores the energy between line, shape, and color found in nature.”
From Jo-Ann Acey: “Much of the time artists work in the solitude of their studio. It’s a very personal dialogue between the maker and the work. Once the work is out in the world, it takes on a life of its own. Being part of the gallery is an opportunity to open this dialogue to a broader audience. 440 Gallery provides a creative environment to exchange ideas and share processes. I look forward to being a part of this community of creative thinkers and art makers.”
Eric Banks
From 440 Gallery: “Eric Banks works in a variety of media using found objects and transforming them into sculpture or richly layered collage/paintings. The work is conceptual, the imagery suggesting states of mind as well as material references.”
From Eric Banks: “The works exhibited cover a span of some 25-30 years — “Despite’ (the earliest, 1990s) and “Peninsula” (the latest, 2014). I work with either oil paint or a process that I call acrylic/paper fusion which is an open-ended process of painting on paper, allowing it to dry then cutting or tearing it and reapplying it to the surface, painting over and around it, drawing with pencil, often removing sections exposing sometimes interesting ‘happy accidents.'”
“The work tends toward attaining an imagery and a spatial tension that suggests or resonates resemblance to an object or group of objects, (each often dividing and subdividing) toward a stasis within a place that exists as a recognizable, resemblant reality and an imaginary idea thought or feeling — as in a memory or a dream. I am interested in the paradoxical intersection between the microcosmic and the macrocosmic relativities of forms and their enveloping spatial containment and the way in which these images play upon the mind heart and soul.:”
“As to how my membership in 440 will affect my work: I’m not really sure except that it is nice to be a part of such a wonderful community of intelligent and caring artists and to have a venue to exhibit my work freely and with encouragement and shared enthusiasm.”
Leigh Blanchard
From 440 Gallery: “Leigh Blanchard is a conceptual photographer working within an experimental, abstract format. Typology, dreams, control and obsession are just a few of the concepts that Blanchard loves to explore.”
From Leigh Blanchard: “I think that being surrounded by such a diverse and talented group of artists will keep me continuously inspired. From painting and printmaking to photography and video art, there are many different mediums and approaches that are supported here. I’m excited to have so much creative freedom and to explore that and push the boundaries in my own work.”
“My goal during my time here at 440 Gallery is to collaborate with and learn as much as I can from all these incredible artists. Regarding exhibition goals, I’d like to install work in a way that really pushes how we utilize the gallery space. Whether the work is an installation or involves transforming the space, I’d like to create an experience for everyone that enters.”
Richard Barnet
From 440 Gallery: “Richard Barnet is primarily a sculptor whose decades-long career has evolved from figurative work to abstract imagery. Barnet’s work is informed by sources that include architectural elements of towers, walls and arches, as well as plants, rocks and waves.”
Joy Makon
From 440 Gallery: “Joy Makon is a representational watercolorist. Her imagery includes landscapes and cityscapes, from Brooklyn and travels abroad. Her controlled mastery of the medium is balanced by lush color and complex composition.”
From Joy Makon: “Being part of 440 Gallery exposes my work to tons more people than I’d be able to do on my own. Since I’m invested in the Park Slope/Windsor Terrace neighborhood — a lot of my work is of Brooklyn landscapes and seascapes. The gallery gives me a chance to meet local fellow art-lovers and talk about what they look at and what my work is about.”
“Joining this artist-run gallery gives me a unique chance to learn about how my colleagues practice their art and integrate it into their daily lives. It comes with built-in feedback, great resources, opportunities to evaluate what I do and why, and a healthy camaraderie to challenge me creatively.”
Amy Weil
From 440 Gallery: “Painter Amy Weil works primarily with encaustic media. Weil’s works are lyrical, abstract expressions incorporating grids and metaphorical references to relationships and landscapes.”
From Amy Weil: “I am thrilled to be showing with so many talented artists and I am sure their styles and techniques will inform my work in some way, however I am very committed to working in Encaustic. As far as craft, I envision doing larger work. When I saw my 40″ x 40” painting, “Kiss and Make-up” hanging in the 440 gallery space, I was surprised at how much larger the painting seemed in my studio and it made me realize that I want to work larger and the 440 space can encompass larger work.”
“The goals that I have as a 440 member are to meet more people in the Park Slope community and hopefully establish myself as a strong artist in the neighborhood while continuing to show outside of Brooklyn and New York. I would like to develop friendships within the gallery and be able to have honest critiques of my work from my fellow coop members. Lastly, as part of my 440 duties, I would like to remember to take out the recyclables on Monday night!” –
Karen Gibbons, Curator of New Members’ Show
From Karen Gibbons: “It was an exciting task to curate the New Members’ Show! I was interested in getting to know the work of our wonderful new members. I tried to see as much work as I could before making selections. It was important to me to both showcase each artist, and create a cohesive show. I wanted to hang work that each artist was eager to show that they also would consider signature work.”
“From there I looked for pieces that I felt were particularly successful and then narrowed my choices by finding connections with other artists in the group. Additionally, I was looking for a variety of sizes and media so the show could be hung in an engaging manner. I’m pleased to say that this process worked very well and we now have a knock-out show on the walls of 440!”
The Exhibition Rundown: New Members’ Show
Where: 440 Gallery (440 6th Avenue, between 9th and 10th Streets)
When: Now through Sunday, March 20
Phone: 718-499-3844
Hours: Thursdays and Fridays 4-7pm; Saturdays and Sundays 11am-7pm
Admission: Free. Price list for artwork available at gallery.
