The latest exhibition presented by Lilienthal Gallery, “Nouveau,” makes its debut tonight. It’s definitely a “go big” kind of exhibition, with six different artists presenting large pieces, making large statements. Included are returning artists Yigal Ozeri and Swoon, joined by artists making their Knoxville debut, including Stanley Casselman, James Gortner, Vita Kari, and Basmat Levin. Vita Kari will make an appearance at tonight’s launch, offering the possibility of, well, anything you can imagine and perhaps more.
Described as “hyper-contemporary,” the exhibition presents artists making bold new statements while often anchored in rich traditions. Yigal Ozeri offers new paintings reflecting, perhaps, a slight departure from the photorealism for which he is best known. You’ll find tapestries and textiles, found art, and art layered over art. Is it digital, is it collage? Where is the art and where is the artist? The exhibition plays with it all.
Yigal Ozeri, the featured artist from last spring, is renowned for producing oil paintings that cannot be distinguished from photographs, though often the artist is lifting the concepts and materials from multiple photographs though they appear seamless. While originating as an abstract artist, his most recent work has focused on a hyper-realistic presentation of women in nature and Americana. The New York-based Israeli artist has enjoyed major exhibitions all over the world.
Swoon’s work was most recently featured by the gallery in the exhibition on Street art. While she is a street artist at her core, she too, has had works exhibited in many of the world’s finest galleries. Swoon (Caledonia Curry), is both an artist and a filmmaker based in New York. She studied at the Pratt Institute and her works focus on a human element in the midst of urban life and much it references social issues. She has works in the permanent collections at MOMA, Tate Modern Museum and other prominent museums.
James Gortner’s provocative paintings challenge the senses. Multiple surfaces combine found art with the artist’s own work. Where does one begin and the other end. Where does the work end? Often the frame (which he builds) continues the theme of the art it encloses. Multi-textured, his art references sculpture, photography and more. While much of the work presented here is representational, I felt most drawn to the abstract pieces (including in the lower level of the gallery). Gortner lives in New York and works from his studio at Mana Contemporary in Jersey City, NJ.
As mentioned above, Vita Kari will join the opening reception. A visual artist from Los Angeles, Vita works across textiles, performance, and digital reproduction. While Kari’s works remain rooted in tradition and family history, they also explore the deceptive world of digital representation. The “Trapped in a Can” performance generated widespread conversation the art community, offering a connecting line to Yoko Ono’s 1960’s experimental performance art and bold social statements. With a growing number of national and international exhibitions, “Kari has been featured in Forbes, Artnet, and Interview Magazine . . . and collaborated with brands such as Marc Jacobs, Loewe, Tory Burch, Google, Adobe, and Spotify.”
Stanley Casselman and Basmat Levin round out the exhibition which, as others at the gallery have in the past, pushes the edges of what has been seen in Knoxville. These very contemporary artists will have their work on display at the gallery for the next three months, but the first glimpse is from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm today. Don’t miss Vita Kari at 6:30 for what promises to be a memorable artistic moment in the city.