Karen Rifas at Bernice Steinbaum Gallery

 

Karen Rifas Strung Out September 10th – October 29th, 2011 Opening reception Saturday, September 10th, 2 – 9pm

Cornered, 2011, colored cord, dimensions variable Karen Rifas, best known for her stitched leaves, continues her exploration of geometry with various colors of cords to create unique geomet ric patterns, forms, and spaces. She uses color in order to question our sense of perspective, while her geomet rically arranged cord installations invigorate space with movement and illusion. Straight lines appear to be curved, and often the cords vibrate while the colors intensi fy. Rifas’ site speci fic installations of nylon cord, stainless steel, or stitched leaves enable her to create volume with a spare amount of material. The work reacts to the unique features of the site and its sense of space. Some of the work deals with overlooked corners of the room, while others are bold compositions that cut through large swaths of space. Each work in the exhibition is site specific and dependent on viewer interaction. Her commissioned work for a client’s home or a corporate headquarters becomes a participatory experience between artist and patron. After a site visit and consultation with the clients, the artist prepares maquettes that reflect the nature of the space and respect the client’s ideas about composition, space, color, and material. On opening night, Saturday September 10 at 8pm, dancers under the direction of Dale Andree, a teacher at New World School of the Arts, will move within the structures created by Ri fas. Her work, and the interaction of the dancers with the installation, show simultaneously the reductive and explosive elements at play. These works often reference the spare and poetic work of Agnes Martin and the rhythmic lines and pulsating color of Piet Mondrian. Project Rooms Aurora Molina A Critique of Established Attitudes Towards Aging & Beauty September 10th 2011 – November 5th, 2012 Paraphilic Infantilism (detail ), 2011, mixed media, robotic mechanism, hand embroidery, panty hose, stuffing, maple wood stand. What is beauty? The artist Aurora Molina challenges us to find beauty in the physical process of aging. We choose to ignore the elderly in our society, unlike the societies of some cultures such as the Japanese and Native Americans. When was the last time you saw an advertisement in a magazine or TV that used a person older than 60 (which is the new 40)? Yes, we have seen ads for adult pampers, hearing aids, and the Mobility Scooter™. These ads imply their helplessness and their dependency. The soft, sculptural figures and creatures Molina makes are belligerent, or perhaps they are ill-behaved children that demand attention. Each one tells a story. These figures and creatures appeal to our social consciousness. Molina uses women’s stockings that make the sculptures appear crude and visceral, while the robotic mechanisms that create their movement remind us that the subjects are alive. Molina comments that, “The use of fabric and the softness of embroidery defines my work and honors that century-old legacy of women weavers and artisans”. Born in Havana, Cuba and earning her Master Degree in Contemporary Art at the prestigious Universidad Europea de Madrid, Molina evinces a perspective and a style that is uniquely her own. Image Caption Paraphilic Infantilism (detail ), 2011, mixed media, robotic mechanism, hand embroidery, panty hose, stuffing, maple wood stand.

 

Valet parking available

Bernice Steinbaum Gallery
3550 N Miami Ave – Miami, FL 33127
T 305 573 2700 – F 305 573 2722

 

via bernicesteinbaumgallery.com