Patti Grabel has been featured a few times here in the past and she has a two notable endeavors coming in the next few weeks you might want to check out. Curious myself, I asked Patti a few questions to further ignite curiosity and conversation. Patti’s answers surely satisfy curiosity (interview below)!
The first event including Patti to look out for is an exhibit at Iron Gate East. They will be hosting an opening reception for the group exhibition Love Is Not All on Saturday, November 3rd, 2018 from 5 to 8 in the evening at 230 Bishops Lane, Southampton, NY. The exhibition features works by Meghan Boody, Patti Grabel, Ryan Michael Kelly, Jeff Muhs and Richard Pasquarelli.
“The artists selected for the exhibition are making works that to seem to, at their very core, explore the depths, limits and complexities of our relationship, both real and imagined, to ourselves, each other, and—for lack of a better word—love.
I’m thrilled to be exhibiting the work of these exceptional artists in this architecturally stunning residence. The dialogue taking place between the works in the exhibition play off of the idea of the home as both a gathering place and a place—when the party is over—for contemplation, privacy, reflection and intimacy. Our homes are where we come together, but also where we dream, alone.”
— Kelcey Edwards, Curator
The title of the exhibition, Love Is Not All, is drawn from a poem by the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and first-wave feminist Edna St. Vincent Millay in which Millay explains the inadequacy of love, beginning with:
Love is not all: it is not meat nor drink
Nor slumber nor a roof against the rain
However, Millay points out later in the poem that, despite love’s inability to sustain us, many a man is making friends with death…for lack of love alone. The final lines of the poem seem to express her belief that, despite the limitations of love, she would not exchange it for a life without it.
It well may be that in a difficult hour,
Pinned down by pain and moaning for release,
Or nagged by want past resolution’s power,
I might be driven to sell your love for peace,
Or trade the memory of this night for food.
It well may be. I do not think I would.
While there is arguably no theme more ancient and intrinsic to human history than Love, questions around what constitutes appropriate expressions of romantic love and sexual desire continue to be debated at every level of our society—from art to politics. It is fascinating to note the differences between the gendered “gaze” felt around the representations of femininity in the exhibition: from Muhs’ girdled cement torsos and Kelly’s cinematic erotic photographs, to Grabel’s photographs of a spoon suggestively cradling a pearl, and Boody’s children—magical and savage looking characters, disconcertingly presented like wild, miniature elf-queens seated at a debaucherous feast.
An interview with Patti:
1.Do you prefer solo or group exhibitions and why?
I love all types of venues. Solo exhibitions are an opportunity to show a variety of my work in depth. It feels like hosting a party because I put on my wearable art that is designed to be fashionable and fun. For example, I created a fabulous feathered skirt embellished with silver spoons and a black ruffled skirt adorned with spoons and replicas of lemons, limes, and cherries. For the upcoming event at Iron Gate, which is a group exhibition, I plan on wearing a bomber jacket with my motif on the back, a bit more low–key. It’s wonderful being a part of a group show and seeing how different artworks and artists respond to one another and how viewers bring their own perspectives.
2. Who named the show?
Kelcey Edwards named the show based on an Edna St. Vincent Millay poem by the same title.
3.How did this particular group of artists come together?
Kelcey Edwards picked the artists based on the concept of the show.
4.Does someone in your family have a nice spoon collection?
I have a collection of beautiful time-worn spoons in my kitchen. They are strategically placed next to my stove top. They appear like ladies in waiting. When I pick them up, we dance, create, stir, and serve our family and friends with meals created with love. When I pick up a spoon to start cooking or create an artwork, I am very aware of how this beautiful sculptural object extends my hand, arm, heart, and soul. We work in unison. This is why when someone tastes something I have made, they are not only tasting the delicious food, but the essence of the spirit in which it was created. The same is true with my artwork. When I paint a spoon, I use the same rhythmic motions as if I were stirring soup. I get the colors and textures I need, I immediately hang them to dry on a clothes-line in my yard. The sun, the moon, and the stars are nature’s oven.
5.How often do you use objects other than spoons?
While spoons are a central component in much of my current work, I use various objects with them to tell stories. You see, after the spoons dry, I place them on my studio floor. I project my stories, and they tell me theirs. I wonder if spoons could talk, what would they say? Every spoon has a story. Among the other items with which I compose are familiar things and found objects. For example, I incorporated red hot candies (a childhood favorite) as two spoons cradle, like lovers playfully cuddling in bed. I added phone wires because I see spoons as receivers of love. I tied red string to a spoon to signify strength and the power in the conductivity of the utensil. The spoon is also a gatherer. This beautiful object has the unique ability to bring communities and families together to share a meal. Humanity at its best. No matter who you are, it serves to feed not only those who hunger for food but for love and acceptance, too. This is clearly what we all need now more than ever.
6.Have you spent periods of your creation on other objects?
Recently, I began dabbling in creating a fashion line with my “Spoon Sayings.” These are messages that are important to me that I want to put out into the world. For example, I just created a jacket that is emblazoned with “See it, Create it, Believe it, Be it.” This sums up my personal credo and artistic practice in a way.
Last month, Bloomingdale’s invited me to be one of seven artists reimagining a pair of jeans for the launch of their new denim collection. This project opened my eyes to another way to tell a story. My mannequin, located on the 2nd floor of Bloomingdale’s on 59th Street, reveals aspects of my personal journey as well as universal touchstones.
A length of clothes-line is the belt, supporting the weight of over 150 spoons attached to the legs. The spoons are symbols of nourishment and one’s commitment to family. We feed our children, our children feed themselves, our children feed their children, our children eventually feed us. Replicas of cherries and vines symbolize the harvest. The back pockets are embroidered with SPOON FEED LOVE ACCEPT on one and ONE ANOTHER on the other. I placed a paint brush in a back pocket as an homage to the art of telling a story without words. Lastly, I leveraged the fact that denim is an iconic American emblem of hard work, dependability, and timelessness. As they get broken in like a wooden spoon, they develop a story and one worth telling.
The second of Patti’s endeavors happening soon is being featured at Chase Edwards Contemporary‘s Manhattan seasonal pop-up, opening on the Upper East Side (872 Lexington Avenue) on Thursday, November 8th.
Chase Edwards Contemporary Opens Manhattan Pop-Up
Popular Hamptons Art Gallery Spreads its Influence
New York, NY – Chase Edwards Contemporary, specializing in mid-career contemporary artists, is pleased to announce the grand opening of their seasonal pop-up location on Manhattan’s Upper East Side on Thursday, November 8th. An opening reception will be held that evening from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm to meet with Owner and Gallery Director Bonnie Edwards, as well as several artists. Already a beloved fixture in the Hamptons, the gallery has opened a dual exhibition space to highlight their international lineup of established artists.
The centerpiece of the inaugural exhibition is a selection of recent works by Morgan Robinson, whose “wall jewelry” renders structural materials visually weightless. His iconic and versatile Curve 8 (2018), which can be mounted on a wall or as an independent structure, graces the entryway to the gallery’s main space. The elegant works incorporate materials such as rebar and feature automotive powder coating.
Chase Edwards features artists working in a variety of media, from oil paint to enamel to wall sculpture. Patti Grabel’s graceful photographic print Balance (2017) is a composition of painted wooden spoons designed to convey the power of stability and calm. Luminous resin panels by Brazilian-born Hamilton Aguiar gleam alongside Janet Jennings’ monumental matte seascapes that hover between abstraction and figuration. A mandala of butterflies cut from foreign currency by Charles Patrick provides an irreverent take on contemporary art.
Patti Grabel is known for her limited edition, photographic prints on paper or glass, which feature spoons that she has painted, hung to dry on a clothesline and arranged to tell stories. The narrative threads embrace many themes including nourishment, family, sensuality, creative expression, spirituality, and the liberating and necessary act of taking chances in life.
In addition to their texture and sculptural quality, Grabel uses spoons for their metaphorical richness. Everyday tools, they are also nurturing vessels giving and receiving in a single motion. Whether part of a set of heirloom silverware or a humble wooden spoon for stirring, they are used around the globe to make and deliver sustenance.
Grabel says, “Spoons are the most beautiful utilitarian object. It’s something you would open your mouth for easily and accept. It’s something we feed our children with, it’s what we feed our family with. When you’re holding a spoon, it extends your hand, which extends your heart, which infuses love and soul into what we cook.”
Grabel donates a portion of the proceeds from sales of her prints to City Harvest, a nonprofit organization feeding hungry New Yorkers for over 35 years.
A selection of works from her Lick the Spoon series and a solo exhibition from her Causing a Stir series were shown at Chase Edwards Contemporary in Bridgehampton, NY, in September 2017 and July 2018, respectively. Most recently, her prints were featured in a monographic presentation at Artiz gallery in New York City. Grabel was one of seven artists invited to participate in a project for Bloomingdale’s flagship store in midtown in conjunction with the launch of a new denim department. Her one-of-a-kind denim jeans embellished with spoons, replicas of berries and vines, and embroidery are on display through October.
One of her pieces was included in benefit event supporting Michael Bolton Charities in 2017, and a print was selected for the Museum of Arts and Design’s 2018 MAD Ball and their 60th anniversary Diamond Jubilee Ball in 2017 for the silent auction benefitting the museum. A print was also selected by City Harvest for the silent auction at its BID 2018 benefit event.
Owner and Gallery Director Bonnie Edwards said of the pop-up, “This is a fantastic opportunity for us to reach a broader audience and connect with some of our summer clients over the winter.” Edwards has more than 20 years of experience with galleries. In addition to the Bridgehampton location, which opened in 2010, she has operated in numerous destination spots in her career, including Maui, HI, Laguna Beach, CA, Nantucket, MA, Santé Fe, NM, and Palm Desert, CA.
Opening: Thursday, November 8th
Hours: Monday through Wednesday, 11:00 am to 7:00 pm; Thursday, 11:00 am to 9:00 pm; Friday through Sunday, 11:00 am to 7:00 pm
New York City: 872 Lexington Avenue, between 65th Street & 66th Street
Bridgehampton: 2462 Main Street
The gallery is planning to host a roster of exhibitions, artist talks, and community events at the new location.
