~SOPHIA NARRETT, PAUL ROUPHAIL . . ‘HEART-SHAPED FACE’ / NATHANIEL DE LARGE . . ‘JAN’S POND’ / JACK BARRETT
subtext: CRAFT
and, no doubt – about it.
in these 2 side-by-side shows, ‘craft’ – as a concept / figures large.
SOPHIA NARRETT, PAUL ROUPHAIL – ‘A Heart-Shaped Face’ /
NATHANIEL DE LARGE – ‘Jan’s Pond’
MARCH 15 – APRIL 28, 2019
JACK BARRETT, 173 Henry St., fringe of Chinatown, NYC.
HRS: WED-SUN / 12-6 PM & by appointment
JACK BARRETT . . the day after the opening.
seems to be a natural-born . . poetic.
puts on some great shows.
reminds me of a young Gavin / GBE.
SOPHIA NARRETT, ‘Path’ embroidery – at right.
he founded 315 Gallery in Brooklyn, where he gave Haley Josephs some great outings.
recently re-booted & re-located to the LES / Lower East Side / Chinatown, under his own name. prob a wise move.
see: HALELY JOSEPHS ‘Finger in the Hive’, 315 Gallery. Sept 7 – Oct 7, 2018 / artloversnewyork
see: HALEY JOSEPHS, 315 Gallery at Sunday Art Fair, London. Oct 4-7, 2018 / artloversnewyork
SOPHIA NARRETT, ‘Path’, 2019 / slightly cropped
Embroidery thread, fabric, acrylic, aluminum.
5 x 4.25 in.
detail, SOPHIA NARRETT, ‘Path’.
‘craft’ & ‘metaphor . . loom large in these works.
PAUL ROUPHAIL, ‘Lavender Room’, 2019.
oil on canvas.
54 x 36 in.
detail, PAUL ROUPHAIL.
I would say, that can of soda – was well crafted.
the main room was more of a complete . . environment.
with craft, concept, technical skills, & . . metaphor / message aplenty.
NATHANIEL DE LARGE, ‘Jan’s Pond’.
from a distance it had the trappings of a giant . . paper cut-out.
the hanging canopy was actually a piece.
NATHANIEL DE LARGE, ‘Ethical Future’, 2019.
Corn and soybean biodegradable bags, LED lights.
dimensions variable.
this was the ‘pond’.
NATHANIEL DE LARGE, ‘Gig of Pride’, 2019.
Plywood, carpet.
72 in. diameter, 5 in. height.
it reminded me of that, audacious, ‘banal’, industrial, brown shaggy carpet,
JOE BRADLEY exhibited in his very first outing, c/o Kenny Schachter, back in early 2000s.
some people in the ‘art wold’ were quite affronted by it.
I thought it was – sublime. funny & smart – it was definite aimed at the right targets !!
the usual suspects parading as art critics – dragging the whole scene & everybody in it down.
20 years later, this is quite the (victory) circle – come round.
NATHANIEL DE LARGE, ‘Trevor’, 2019.
Chain mail, cyanoacrylate.
dimensions variable, (life-like)
craft &industry – these truths we take as self-obvious.
Chain mail, hand-mgde. diy. but, why is it beside Jan’s pond ?
Environmental . . S.O. S. ?
‘Jan’s Pond’ . . looking in from the other direction.
NATHANIEL DE LARGE, ‘HT125’, 2019.
Anodized titanium, Dibond, human hair, steel.
24-1/4 x 9-3/4 in.
Nathaniel de Large’s technical skill . . was sublime & subtle, witness the ‘swan’.
industrial, and crafty – in the same breath.
damn, the conclusion ?
looks like our natural habitat . . . just might be going completely, down the drain.
read more & images: ‘A Heart-Shaped Face’ – SOPHIA NARRETT & PAUL ROUPHAIL / JACK BARRETT
read more & images: ‘JAN’S POND’ – NATHANIEL DE LARGE / JACK BARRETT
wonderful show, absolutely – on point.
go see it / up thru APRIL 28
EXHIBITION INVITE / IMAGE
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH