Patti Grabel’s exhibition titled, Causing a Stir, opens at Artitz Gallery (135 E. 65th St.) to the public Friday, September 14th though Thursday, September 20th . Causing a Stir is a curated collection of limited edition, photographic prints. Grabel’s prints feature spoons that she has painted and arranged on canvas to convey a diversity of meanings and tell stories that we can all relate to, including:
- The centrality of family and friends
- The importance of physical and spiritual nourishment
- The ability of art to communicate and engage
- The power that comes from creative expression and self-determination
Spoons are potent symbols and metaphorically rich—giving and receiving in a single motion.
With a body of art that focuses on the importance of physical and spiritual nourishment; the ability of art to stimulate communication, engagement; and the power that comes from creative expression and self-determination, Patti’s unique technique and symbolism has caused a stir in the art community.
About the Artist
Patti Grabel is an artist, writer, and producer based in New York City and Bridgehampton. As an artist, she works in a range of mediums including painting, drawing, photography, assemblage, and found-object sculpture. Her life story and passion for cooking and entertaining inform her artistic practice. Her current series, Lick the Spoon, explores imagery that reveals narratives that are at once personal and universal, whimsical and poignant, intimate and public.
Lick the Spoon primarily comprises photographic compositions printed on paper or glass depicting wooden spoons that have been painted, hung to dry on a clothesline, and arranged to tell stories. Patti sometimes incorporates other elements to convey meaning including text and objects. The narrative threads in each work embrace many themes including nourishment, sensuality, creative expression, and the liberating and necessary act of taking chances in life.
In addition to their texture and sculptural quality, Patti uses spoons for their metaphorical richness. They are everyday tools and vessels. Whether part of a set of heirloom silverware or a humble wooden spoon for stirring and serving, they are used around the globe. Importantly, they represent central aspects of Patti’s life—nurturing family and friends and creating in her studio and kitchen.
The notion of licking the spoon aligns with the artist’s credo of embracing adventure, new opportunities, and unexpected paths in both her artistic practice and life. A selection of works from the Lick the Spoon series, which Patti began in summer 2017, were shown at the Chase Edwards Contemporary Gallery in Bridgehampton, NY, in September 2017. One of her pieces was included in a recent benefit event supporting Michael Bolton Charities. “Musical Spoons” has recently joined the private collection of Sound Point Capital, which is located in the Seagram building at 375 Park Avenue New York, New York. “Musical Spoons” was proudly selected for the Museum of Arts and Designs 60th anniversary Diamond Jubilee MAD Ball as part of their silent auction. Her prints are on display atwww.shop.pattigrabel.com.
