Ilana Lilienthal has Lilienthal Gallery ready to open, pending a final issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy for the space. Located at 23 Emory Place in one of a string of buildings Ilana and her family purchased, the gallery will be the second to open in Emory Place in a matter of weeks. Ilana previously operated a gallery in Miami, Florida.
Externally, the building has been painted and windows have been replaced. Working on neighboring buildings continues. Just outside the gallery, Ilana has placed a seating area which fronts a space between the two galleries. The space will likely have sculptures added by the local Art in Public Places effort headed by Dogwood Arts. She is also considering enclosing the space in glass and presenting an additional gallery in the space.
“We want the whole street to have art and sculpture. I believe in community effort. It’s wonderful if we support each other. I like to create and arts and culture community. I want to activate the whole street.” When completed, she is planning quarterly events in which Emory Place will be closed to traffic and will host long-table dinners, fashion shows, book fairs (she is building permanent booths to be placed for events to “look important, like in Europe.”)
Of the gallery, she said every show will look different. There is no permanent exhibition, with works, including her own, rotating out every few months in favor of additional works by artists she represents. The focus is on large works by national and international artists, and she indicated the current works, though large, are some of the smaller works by the artists.
She represents a small number of artists and may add others, but they will all have gallery or museum credentials. She will also create experiences in the space, such as a light and projection installation she has in mind.
Of the current exhibition she said, “It is a taste,” and she promises more challenging works as the months pass. She started with more figurative and accessible works, but says exhibitions in the future might include single or small groups of works that consume the entire space. She also has access to additional works from the artists and can work with interested customers in finding a work that fits their needs and, potentially, price point. Not all artists are currently included, but you can find a more complete listing here.
Here’s a look at some of the artists whose work you see here (adapted excerpts from the artist statements):
- Adán López Alemán is a Spanish expressionist artist who has exhibited his work throughout Europe. Working with mixed techniques and materials; watercolor, acrylic, oils, pastels, and ink, Adán is transforming the subject matter into a symphony of expression and movement. His ‘soul’ paintings capture personality, and storyline in each portrait. In a combination of realism and expressionism, an atmosphere or mood is created that is characteristic of his work. Lopez’ colorful black and white portraits are playing behind a social mask, opening the eyes, searching for the truth. In his figure painting we can feel the breeze and hear the wind moving through the bodies trying to hold on.
- Israeli-born artist Joseph Ashman, started late in life. Working with oil colors on canvas, Ashman paints the landscape of the holy land as he experienced it in different stages. With a vivid color palette, the landscape changes its inner movement, portraying the moods the country is experiencing as events are occurring (wars, existence, peace). We see the explosion of ideas, feelings, experiences, and beliefs as we take a walk into Ashman’s paintings.
- Eszter Bornemisza is a mixed-media fiber artist living in Budapest, Hungary. She trained as a mathematician, earned a Ph.D. in mathematical statistics, and worked in the field as a researcher for twenty years. Her work is an exploration between the recognizable and the abstract using textiles and threads to create a gossamer-like image of her subject matter. Working with negative space, she weaves her images in the air. She has been creating quilts, large-scale translucent fiber works, 3D objects, and installations mainly from the ubiquitous material of waste newspaper and vintage cloth. Her works have been widely exhibited in juried and solo shows throughout Europe, America, Australia, China, and Japan.
- Orel Brodt is a young, up-and-coming artist with in-depth experience in fashion, textile, and color. From her work with fashion houses such as Robert Graham, Oscar de la Renta, Viktor and Rolf, and Panos Yiappanis, to presentations in Amsterdam, London, Tel-Aviv, and New York City, Orel uses her art skills with movement and shape. Her unique style brings a colorful personality that translates into big vibrant paintings and drawings concentrated on the human figure. From abstraction to classic studies of the human form, Brodt likes to mix different mediums such as ink, pen, watercolor, collages, and pencils together, marrying different effects into a cohesive whole.
- Jesus Cordero is a Spanish photographer whose work can be seen in Madrid, London ,Paris, New York and LA. His photographs are printed on frameable foam board. Working for a variety of high fashion clients such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Chanel and magazines like Vogue, Elle, Glamor and more, Cordero developed a series of black and white photographs focusing on his “muse.” Actress Grecia Castta inspired these sensual works. Zooming in, combining the body with the movement of water and sand all the express desire and need. The photographer’s monographs are multi-layered opuses of poetic symbolism dealing with the “seven sins and virtues.”
- Ilana Lilienthal is a multi-faceted artist who moves between sculpture and painting. Dancing between the bold and the elegant, the strong and the soft, her use of material is endless. She likes to use the images with which we are bombarded in her art and she enjoys a focus on women, emphasizing both their strength and softness. The idea of the large three-panel work is that “we need to dissolve the masks and heavy burden put on us . . . It’s a modern take on the ancient or classic figures.” Her grand over-sized installations exploring acrylics, polymers, fiberglass, and light reflecting materials have been enjoyed in many exhibitions across galleries and museums world-wide; including New York, Miami, Chicago, Tel-Aviv, London, Zurich, and Munich.
- Dena Shenhav is an installation artist dealing with subjects relating to politics, society, history, archeology, and the relationship between humans and nature. Using mostly yellow mattress foam and sponges, Shenhav transforms spaces and hard elements into soft feminine objects with meticulous details. Taking us away from our everyday recognized elements to a fairytale like experience. Shenhav has exhibited in many shows worldwide, including museums in Israel, Europe, and the United States.
Every work included in all exhibitions is for sale. Watch for an announcement very soon regarding the gallery opening. Hours will be Tuesday through Saturday from Noon – 6:00 pm, with additional hours by appointment.