Upsilon Gallery, a leading art gallery and fine print publisher specializing in International postwar and contemporary art, recently opened their new flagship location on the Upper East Side at 23 East 67th Street with its inaugural exhibition “Kaleidoscope” by artist Osvaldo Mariscotti.
Founded by Director Marcelo Zimmler in 2014, Upsilon Gallery has office locations in New York, Miami and London by appointment only, and has been regularly holding highly successful physical and online exhibitions throughout the years. At Upsilon, Zimmler and his team have an unwavering commitment to rediscovering a roster of accomplished artists that have been forgotten or overlooked within a historical scope. Ever evolving, the gallery continues to embrace new technological advancements key to the goal of encouraging new forms of interpretation for the novice and seasoned collector, inviting them not only to learn about art, but to experience it through a new and dynamic lens.
For their first brick and mortar location, Zimmler chose the Upper East Side, recognizing that the neighborhood is a true cornerstone for the art and design community. He wanted to create a contemporary space, providing a neutral stark white setting for the artwork on display and an approachable and friendly atmosphere for collectors and guests.
“Our vision for this new flagship gallery in the Upper East Side is to create an outstanding and unique home for our artists and our team, and a vibrant cultural destination in the heart of NYC,” said Marcelo Zimmler.
In their first exhibition, Upsilon Gallery will present a comprehensive look at the oeuvre of mid-career Italian-American artist Osvaldo Mariscotti from February 25th – April 16th. The show will focus on the artist’s study of the symbol, both individually and as a group in the development of language. Select works to be showcased will include: Origins from 2020, oil on canvas (3 panels); Firenze from 2021, oil and enamel on canvas; Spar from 2021, bronze; Infinity from 2014, oil and enamel on wood; and Melody from 2016-2018, oil on canvas.
Mariscotti’s dedication to the interaction of form and color has led to a continued exploration of perception. He takes over the most basic elements of Suprematist art, the straight line and the square, a choice that reflects the emphasis he places on the shapes produced by man rather than those existing in nature. His works are very significant, made from the decomposition of figures such as the rectangle, which is then decomposed into its essential-colored lines on a black background. Mariscotti’s search puts him in the context of geometric conceptualism: that reality of thought that holds figuration as malaise and searches for synthesis, as a model to pursue. His art examines the “nonreality” and breaks it down into geometric shapes, to arrive at the development of a new code. He has exhibited his work in numerous solo and group exhibitions in prestigious institutions around the world such as the MIIT Museum, Turin; the Malzfabrik, Berlin; the Chianciano Museum of Art, Chianciano Terme; the Galata Museum, Genoa; the Officina delle Zattere, Venice; the European Museum of Modern Art (MEAM), Barcelona; Canova Museum, Possagno; and the Museum of Contemporary Art Giuseppe Sciortino, Monreale. In 2015, Mariscotti first participated in the 56th Venice Biennale with his now iconic Book of Color I.
Upsilon Gallery will boast a robust spring season featuring exhibitions by artists including Clyde Hopkins, Diet Sayler and Williard Boepple.
Upsilon Gallery is located at 23 East 67th Street, New York NY 10065. Exhibition hours are Monday-Saturday 10:00am-6:00pm. If you are interested in checking out the exhibition, visitors are encouraged to call 646-476-4190 or email info@upsilongallery.com to schedule an exclusive tour. Visit www.upsilongallery.com for further details.
- As you’ve explored the symbol of Kaleidoscope, what has been found, in a few sentences.
Kaleidoscope has to do with the ideas of beauty, pattern, and repetition, and we feel that those 3 elements summarize the show quite succinctly. Mariscotti makes use of symbols, both individually and collectively to explore one of the most overarching themes in his career, the passage of time. Time is represented by the artist with specific layouts of shape and color, which convey an idea of motion
alluding to the natural state of time which exists in a continuum. Mariscotti interprets time by devising specific schemes of color and form, which convey the idea of motion alluding to the natural state of time which exists within a continuum. - Tell me about how one or a few works reflect on Kaleidescope.
Kaleidoscope refers to pattern and repetition, and the artist uses those two means to represent the passage of time. Examples of this representation are: Origins, 2020; Firenze, 2021; and Melody, 2017.
Origins includes one of Mariscotti’s most iconic patterns, three vertical bars of color joined through a horizontal connector to a larger block on the right. Here, the three bars on the left represent an initial
state, which over time is affected by certain conditions to arrive at a conclusion or resulting state.
Firenze on the other hand, displays a grid which breaks down a scene into constituted frames, allowing the viewer to traverse the canvas from one frame to the next in a dynamic, if not, narrative, or cinematic fashion. Finally, Melody displays horizontal rows of repeated shapes which create a sequence making reference to the idea of code and language. - Does your gallery have a specific goal?
Yes, our goal is to present accomplished artists who have been overlooked and give them a second chance to notoriety on a new stage in the heart of NYC. Our mission is to rediscover late-career artists
and artist estates whose works are part of a life-long journey of creation, have exhibited extensively in the past, yet been overlooked by recent art history, deserving another look within the canon. We also maintain an ongoing secondary market print program offering works by established artists, as well as publishing original editions by Osvaldo Mariscotti. - Why has the artist in this exhibit been overlooked?
There are many reasons why artists can become overlooked by the art establishment. Some of it has to do with their personal efforts, maturity, initiatives, expectations, timing, luck, public taste, and critic
reception. For any given time within an artist’s career there is seldom one reason, but a combination of a few. Aesthetics aside, we believe Mariscotti has hit a stride in his creative practice where he is
successfully addressing collective formal and conceptual concerns in a meaningful and communicative way, both for the viewer and himself. - One of the images is titled, “Infinity.” What is the relationship between Infinity and Kaleidescope?
Infinity is that which is boundless, endless, or larger than any number, and is often denoted by the infinity symbol. Much of Mariscotti’s work is conceived in 3-dimensional space, and as such evokes a sense of boundlessness which is also inherent in the concept of the kaleidoscope, defined in part by endless repetition. - Why did you decide to move to a brick-and-mortar location?
For our first brick and mortar location, I chose the Upper East Side, recognizing that the neighborhood is a true cornerstone for the art and design community. I wanted to create a contemporary space,
providing a neutral stark white setting for the artwork on display and an approachable and friendly atmosphere for collectors and guests. Our vision for this new flagship gallery is to create an outstanding
and unique home for our artists and our team, and a vibrant cultural destination in the heart of NYC.
