Alyson Shotz
Phase Shift
February 27 - April 4, 2009
Opening Reception: Tuesday, March 3, 6-8 pm
Derek Eller Gallery is pleased to present Phase Shift, an exhibition of new work by Alyson Shotz.
For her fourth solo show at the gallery, Alyson Shotz continues to investigate issues of perception and space with highly sophisticated sculptures that challenge the viewer's visual acuity in striking and captivating ways.
This exhibition includes Equilibrium, a monumental hanging sculpture consisting of approximately 500 strands of piano wire covered in silvered glass beads, which spill from the ceiling to the floor in curvilinear forms shaped primarily by gravity. The highly reflective surface reacts with light to induce subtle visual distortions, suggesting shape and volume while remaining delicate and ephemeral. Also on view, Thread Drawing #3 (Wave) is a large-scale sculptural relief made from thread meticulously interwoven through hundreds of pins on the wall. The parallel and intersecting lines of string merge into geometric shapes and patterns, recalling the gestural lines of a two-dimensional drawing. Shadows cast by the pins are in constant flux depending on light, time of day and the position of the viewer.
Shadows are also an important element of Suspension, another hanging sculpture. Constructed by varying lengths of stainless steel wire capped by glass beads, which are intertwined to form a web of luminous branches, Suspension creates a dynamic pattern of shadows on the wall. Lastly, a work entitled Phase Shift consists of thousands of hand-cut plastic magnifying lenses arranged incrementally on stainless steel wires that radiate from one corner of the gallery's north room. The placement of the lenses is carefully executed so that each disc reflects upon those around it, revealing a unique perspective of the surrounding space. As with the other work on view, Phase Shift encourages careful observation as subtle shifts in light, air movement and shadow make the viewer attuned to the intriguing but understated phenomena occurring within the surrounding space.
The exhibition is accompanied by an illustrated monograph, which will include over 25 color plates, an interview with the artist, and an essay by Katie Stone Sonnenborn.
Alyson Shotz has upcoming solo exhibitions at the Syracuse University Art Gallery and the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University. Her work was recently exhibited and subsequently acquired by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, and the Guggenheim Museum in New York. Her work is included in numerous public collections, such as the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the High Museum of Art, Atlanta.
Derek Eller Gallery is located at 615 West 27th Street, between 11th and 12th Avenues. Hours are Tuesday - Saturday from 11am - 6pm. For further information or visuals, please contact the gallery at 212.206.6411 or visit www.derekeller.com.