David Ambrose
Straitjacket Kaleidoscope
EXTENDED TILL JUNE 15th
Straitjacket Kaleidoscope, 2014, watercolor & gouache on pierced paper, 30 x 22"
Janet Kurnatowski is pleased to present "Straitjacket Kaleidescope", new works on paper by David Ambrose. This will be David Ambrose's first solo exhibition with the gallery. The exhibition runs from May 2nd till June 1st, 2014. There will be an opening reception for the artist on May 2nd from 7-9pm. Please join the artist in conversation with Stephen Maine on Sunday, May 18th. All events are free and open to the public.
For the last decade, Ambrose has been working almost exclusively on paper. In this exhibition of new works, Ambrose forms a system of patterns by initially piercing the paper and creating a varied topography with raised and dimpled surfaces. "As a rule, I never leave a sheet unaltered. I have pierced, cut or stapled my paper throughout my career. I regard all these activities as drawing techniques as valid as putting pencil to paper." The flow of pigments from watercolor and gouache react with the surface either being drawn into hundreds, sometimes thousands of miniscule openings or being repelled by the raised bumps forming elaborate matrices. From this process, many complex layers are manifested in his paintings on paper, some resembling delicate, intricate lace and others resembling stained glass windows and Middle Eastern ornamentation. "The pierced designs of the hand-made lace found in much of my work were common to my household as a child. Each piece comes with it's own personal history, giving the work a distinctly feminine accent. By then taking a the perceived masculine activities - painting and building - I conjoin the two forms, creating a surface of visual, social and cultural tension."
Ambrose has recently participated in exhibitions at Aljira, A Center for Contemporary Art, Newark, New Jersey, Kentler International Drawing space, Red Hook, NY, Margaret Thatcher Projects, New York, Geoffrey Young Gallery, Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Mckenzie Fine Art, New York, Jeff Bailey Gallery, New York, Arkansas Art Center in Little Rock and Lori Bookstein Fine Art, New York, Gregory Lind Gallery, San Francisco, CA, Pentimenti Gallery in Philadelphia and Marcia Wood Gallery in Atlanta, GA. Select collections include The Montclair Art Museum, Montclair, NJ, Jersey City Museum, Jersey City, NJ, The Morris Museum, Morristown, NJ, New Jersey State Museum, Trenton, NJ, Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus , GA. For more information or images please contact the gallery.
For the last decade, Ambrose has been working almost exclusively on paper. In this exhibition of new works, Ambrose forms a system of patterns by initially piercing the paper and creating a varied topography with raised and dimpled surfaces. "As a rule, I never leave a sheet unaltered. I have pierced, cut or stapled my paper throughout my career. I regard all these activities as drawing techniques as valid as putting pencil to paper." The flow of pigments from watercolor and gouache react with the surface either being drawn into hundreds, sometimes thousands of miniscule openings or being repelled by the raised bumps forming elaborate matrices. From this process, many complex layers are manifested in his paintings on paper, some resembling delicate, intricate lace and others resembling stained glass windows and Middle Eastern ornamentation. "The pierced designs of the hand-made lace found in much of my work were common to my household as a child. Each piece comes with it's own personal history, giving the work a distinctly feminine accent. By then taking a the perceived masculine activities - painting and building - I conjoin the two forms, creating a surface of visual, social and cultural tension."
Ambrose has recently participated in exhibitions at Aljira, A Center for Contemporary Art, Newark, New Jersey, Kentler International Drawing space, Red Hook, NY, Margaret Thatcher Projects, New York, Geoffrey Young Gallery, Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Mckenzie Fine Art, New York, Jeff Bailey Gallery, New York, Arkansas Art Center in Little Rock and Lori Bookstein Fine Art, New York, Gregory Lind Gallery, San Francisco, CA, Pentimenti Gallery in Philadelphia and Marcia Wood Gallery in Atlanta, GA. Select collections include The Montclair Art Museum, Montclair, NJ, Jersey City Museum, Jersey City, NJ, The Morris Museum, Morristown, NJ, New Jersey State Museum, Trenton, NJ, Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus , GA. For more information or images please contact the gallery.