For Immediate Release
exhibition ÒIslandÓ
Paintings by Graciela Cassel
dates Saturday, May 9 – Sunday, May 31, 2009
reception Saturday, May 9, 6 - 8 pm
7:30 pm Performance: Inbred Hybrid Collective presents ÒCocoonÓ
New York, NY
Dutch Kills Gallery is pleased to announce an exhibition of the work of Argentinian artist Graciela Cassel. This exhibition features the artistÕs recent series The Island, mixed media works with seafaring imagery reminiscent of fantasy book illustrations. The work reflects CasselÕs fascination with storytelling, childhood memories, travel and the metaphorical topography of desire. Images of sailboats adrift, storm-tossed seas and chests of underwater treasure present a dual interpretive meaning in this series, serving as metaphors of freedom, danger, hope and allegory within which Cassel also enacts a subtle game of perspective. Superimposed navigational coordinates map the impossible perspective of a fantasy telescope, disrupting the representation of space and time as contiguous and linear. CasselÕs high-sea adventure stories become phantasmatic scenes of desire.
Cassel was born in Argentina and has her studio in Long Island City, New York. She has a BA in Arts, and has received several awards for her etchings. She continues to present her work in Argentina and has been invited to the Art-Fairs in Beijing, Vienna and Miami.
Inbred Hybrid Collective presents "Cocoon", a participatory performance exploring the influence of media and how it shapes us. Using papier mache, the audience will be asked to contribute to the obfuscation of the source. Established in 2005, the objective of Inbred Hybrid Collective is to stimulate a consciousness of the external factors affecting our human existence. The type of interventions associated with Inbred Hybrid Collective, achieved as artistic concept, constitute a provocation for the public to reflect upon the influence that this immersion has had upon them. Most recently Inbred Hybrid Collective made history as the first sanctioned performance artist at New York's Armory Show.
Dutch Kills Gallery is a new contemporary exhibition space situated in the rapidly evolving artistic hub of Long Island City. In addition to monthly exhibitions by gallery artists, programming features performances, screenings and other events.
The gallery is located in the historic Silks Building, presently home to visual and performing artist spaces and small businesses. Nearby are numerous museums, galleries and restaurants, as well as the scenic Long Island City waterfront.
